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Tesla prioritizes performance message over luxury

Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S
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The L Word is not just a Showtime series that went off the air a few years back. It can also be code for "luxury," a term the folks at Tesla Motors don't seem to overuse when it comes to the Model S battery-electric vehicle. The California-based company considers its sole production model a performance vehicle, Automotive News says, citing a statement by Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla's vice president of business development, at a presentation to the Electrification Coalition. O'Connell said the Model S is "competing based on performance" and the official company line reinforces this view. The review quotes that Tesla currently highlights on its main page all talk about the car's performance and do not use the word luxury at all. On the Model S page, the tag line is: "Introducing a car so advanced it sets a new standard for premium performance."

The Electrification Coalition recently highlighted the Model S's success by pitting its 2013 sales numbers favorably against other luxury models like the Mercedes-Benz S Class and the BMW 7 Series, though those numbers are estimates because Tesla doesn't release monthly sales figures. But the company did say it sold about 4,900 units during the first quarter, when it earned its first-ever quarterly profit. The next batch of sales numbers, covering the second quarter of 2013, will be released August 7.

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