The electric car race has a new front-runner.
Tesla Motors’ Model S sedan is outpacing General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt so far this year. Tesla is on track to post first-quarter sales of at least 4,750 of its flagship model in the U.S. and Canada, a company spokeswoman said.
GM would come in second with 4,421 North American deliveries of its Volt, a plug-in hybrid that uses both batteries and a gasoline engine.
Nissan Motors sold 3,695 of its Leaf model, which like the Model S is all electric.
Tesla announced earlier this month it would turn its first quarterly profit in the company’s 10-year history. It also dropped plans to put out a lower-end version of the car with less battery power, focusing instead on higher-tier versions that start at about $70,000.
On Friday, the company said it plans to offer loaners to owners whose Teslas are in the shop. The loaners will be the newest and highest-end models.
Customers who get one can buy it on the spot, and Tesla will cut the purchase price 1% for every month it’s been on the road and $1 for every mile it has been driven.
