For 30 years or more, environmentalists have called on us to eschew excess, slow down and leave a smaller footprint. Many Americans pay lip service to this ideal, but most don't choose to live it.
The Tesla turns the frugal environmentalist aesthetic on its head. Sure, it doesn't burn petroleum, and if plugged into a wind turbine or a nuclear plant, it would be a very low-carbon machine. But anyone who buys one will get the most satisfaction from smoking someone's doors off. The Tesla's message is that "green" technology can appeal to the id, not just the superego.
