THE TESLA S MODEL FOR 2013 IS DEFINITELY                                           ROCKING THE                                                                    ALTERNATIVE CARS MARKET

Excepts from nydailynews.com

Tesla Model S outselling major car brands in California, including Porsche, Volvo, Cadillac and Buick

Elon Musk's luxurious entry into the electric car market appears to be a hit with California consumers.

PAUL SAKUMA/AP

Tesla CEO Elon Musk learned this week that his Model S sedan is now outselling such luxury brands as Jaguar, Porsche, Cadillac and Volvo in the state of California. 

The luxury car market has been hit by a jolt of electricity.

New sales figures show that Tesla Motors’ Model S electric car is gaining traction with California consumers, and is now the third best-selling luxury sedan in the state.

In June, the Model S, which can go close to 300 miles on a single charge, was in greater demand in California than high-end competitors Jaguar, Volvo, Porsche, Cadillac, Buick, Fiat, Land Rover and Lincoln, figures compiled by Quartz showed.

RELATED: MORE THAN FIVE STARS? TESLA MODEL S ELECTRIC CAR BREAKS SAFETY RECORD

ARMANDO ARORIZO/BLOOMBERG

The Model S sells for around $70,000, but the company has seen steady demand in California. 

The new sales numbers are further vindication for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who targeted the luxury market for his company’s entry into the electric car business with a car that sells for around $70,000.

“Tesla’s the Apple of automotive — it’s managed to cross the automotive and technology fields to become this hot commodity,” Alan Baum, an independent auto analyst at Baum & Associates, toldBloomberg. “Justified or not, the expectations for this company are now very high.”

Given the slew of recent reviews and performance ratings the Model S has received, Musk has no problem arguing that his car is deserving of the hype and justifying sales estimates of 40,000 vehicles in the coming year.

RELATED: TESLA MODEL S PACKS A HUGE PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL PUNCH

PAUL SAKUMA/AP

Tesla, which is based in Freemont, Calif., saw its market value climb above $20 billion on Tuesday. 

Motor Trend magazine named the Model S its Car of the Year for 2013, while Consumer Reports scored it a lofty 99 out of 100. If that weren’t enough, this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Model S the highest safety rating of any vehicle ever tested.

Investors are flocking to buy Tesla stock, sending the company’s market value past $20 billion in trading on Tuesday, and Musk is estimated to have earned $78 million last year, making him the second highest-paid Sillicon Valley executive.

Next up, Tesla is setting its sights on releasing a car that will retail for half of what the Model S costs. 

“With the Model S, you have a compelling car that’s too expensive for most people, and you have the Leaf, which is cheap, but it’s not great,” Musk told reporters this Spring. “What the world really needs is a great, affordable electric car. I’m not going to let anything go, no matter what people offer, until I complete that mission.”