Tesla's sales are slumping around the world, but the company got a small dose of good news recently that helped to show how good of a car the Model 3 objectively is. According to Drive.com.au, the Model 3 has been awarded the Drive Best Urban Electric Vehicle Under $100K for the second consecutive year. The car beat out 15 other EVs that were considered for the award, including the Polestar 4 and the BMW i4 eDrive 35, which were the other finalists.
The Model 3 was chosen for several reasons, per the publication, including its spacious and high-tech cabin, its ability to go over bumps and take sharp turns comfortably, and its energy efficiency and charging network. The energy efficiency is a no-brainer, as the Model 3 can reach up to 363 miles on a single charge, way more than either runner-up.
The Model 3 even outperformed Tesla's more expensive Model Y, the best-selling EV in the world by far in 2024, according to Statista. The Model 3 is Tesla's second-best-selling model.
This announcement by Drive came around the same time that Tesla's NACS charging connector received MotorTrend's Best Tech award. The NACS, or North American Charging Standard, has been widely adopted by other major automobile manufacturers.
These are two much-needed wins for Tesla, as worldwide sales have plummeted recently, including in Australia, and the EV giant's stock has taken a nosedive.
Perhaps this award, along with the glowing review, could at least help to entice more people to buy one used with the recent spike Tesla owners listing their cars — after all, even those protesting Tesla would have to agree with the logic that a lot went into making them, and they are objectively good cars that reduce pollution, so someone should drive them.
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With some drivers performing cosmetic surgery on their Teslas, maybe even that is a good way for Teslas to stay on the road without risk of vandalism for as long as Tesla does not turn around public sentiment.
At the very least, the glowing review could convince consumers to look into making their next vehicle an EV more broadly. Every EV on the road means one fewer gas-powered vehicle that produces air pollution, especially planet-warming gases — as scientists have established that increasing global temperatures can lead to extreme weather that threatens lives and the global food supply.
According to Drive, the competition wasn't particularly close.
"The Tesla Model 3 is so far ahead of its rivals on value, space, performance, comfort, technology, efficiency, and charging," the writer noted, "that the vote in this category was not a difficult one."
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