Tesla sold 4,714 Model S’s in the first half of the year with 1,097 of those registered in June. Among other cars the Model S has outsold in California, the US’s largest and trend-setting automotive market, are the Audi A4, the Mercedes M Class, the BMW X5 and various compact cars and sport utility vehicles.

The numbers are small, of course, compared to the 33,987 Toyota Priuses and 31,576 Honda Accords sold in the first half of 2013. But the trend line seems clear: Since its launch in June 2012, when eight were sold, the Model S has quickly gone from a plaything of Silicon Valley and Hollywood moguls to a direct competitor of various ultimate German driving machines.  It hasn’t hurt that Tesla has been showered with accolades, from Consumer Reports bestowing the Model S with its highest-ever automotive rating to the federal government awarding the car its top safety rating this week. And no automotive chieftain knows how to dominate the media like Tesla chief executive Elon Musk.

To wit:  http://pandawhale.com/post/25169/tesla-model-s-is-the-safest-car-in-the-history-of-the-nhtsa

Something about Tesla seems unsustainable. Maybe it's the price point. Not sure.

They seem to sell on total cost of ownership based on long term ownership and not what the main street mass market buys--on immediate price to value.  Also, the type of earlier buyers they are talking about are fickle.  BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc all have to refresh their models every 3 years.  Tesla's might  have a slightly longer "newness" desirability factor, but a TCO based on 8-10 years where they churn 80% of their leading purchasers might be a problem where they might have to come out with more mass-market models without watering down their flagships.  For now they are a shinning star.