ALTERNATIVE energy is a hot topic in the motoring world and while plug-in hybrids and combustion engine-hybrid vehicles are gathering momentum in Australia, the pure electric options have so far lacked the spark of popularity.

Range anxiety, high price-tags and long recharge cycles have all worked against battery-only cars Down Under but now an ambitious company from California has launched a model it says solves all the problems.

With a 500km range, five luxury seats, a 20 minute half-charge function and zero to 100km/h acceleration of just 4.4 seconds, Tesla's Model S P85 does indeed appear to address the major drawbacks of electric locomotion.

Making the claims on paper is one thing but proving the performance in the real world is quite another.

We put our faith in the Tesla's range claims and took Australia's fastest electric car for a long drive.

Click here for the full review...