Tesla Model S gets thumbs down by German environment minister

Amidst almost universal accolades for the Tesla Model S, an environmental minister for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has done the unthinkable. He has returned the Model S he used for official business, claiming it has several drawbacks that make it unsuitable for everyday driving.

Automotive News has discovered through Germany's Freedom of Information Act that member of the Green Party and the environment minister of North Rhein-Westphalia, Johannes Remmel, started to use a fleet Model S to see how it would handle his usual driving routine.

Despite being a proponent of electric vehicles, Remmel returned the Model S after just 43 trips due to its insufficient range.

It should be noted that Remmel is now the former environmental minister for Germany’s most populous state, having been turned out of office by the voters. 
But lack of range and long charging times were not the only things Remmel found wrong with the Model S. He also slammed the car for its lack of refinement. “When it comes to comfort as well as the ability to perform work, the rear bank of seats leave much to be desired for a sedan of its class,” he wrote. 

Naturally, this problem could be solved with a more fleshed-out charging network in Germany, especially one of Tesla Superchargers. Elon Musk recently tweeted that “major increases” in the charger network in urban areas here in the States will be happening over the next several months. Perhaps this report, combined with Germany's push for EVs, will prompt Tesla to beef up their European charging networks as well. Tesla officials have declined to comment.