I my case, there are simply no other alternatives that meet my needs. Once day a week I drive about 100 miles, and the other days I drive about 80 miles. Charging at work is simply not an option, unfortunately, so I need to be able to make these trips without topping off. I also need a vehicle large enough to hold myself, my wife, my daughter (in a rear facing child seat) her stroller, and the dog. The Model S is a major reach for us financially, as it literally twice the cost of any vehicle we have purchased before, and while I absolutely love the design of the Model S, if there was a cheaper option that met the range and storage requirements, I would have to look at it.
The options we have now are :
Leaf : Simply not enough range to grantee that I will never not make it home from work (most days would be stretching it, and the one 100 mile day would only be possible under perfect conditions.
Volt : Would get me through the day, but only by burning T-Rex and friends. Space is also an issue, as the trunk is not large enough to fit the stroller.
Coda : Might work, but not available in my market. It's also butt ugly. The price is much more attractive than the Model S, however.
MiEV : Way to small, not nearly enough range. I'm sure someone likes this thing, but I view it as only slightly more practical than a golf cart.
Rav4 EV : Few details, may have enough range (but may not was well). Should have plenty of room. Not available in my market.
Focus EV : Few solid details, sounds like it will not have enough range. Space inside may be ok.
Fisker : If I cant afford a Model S, I definitely cant afford a Karma.
Other than that, there really are no other options (I am not counting the countless plug in hybrids coming to market like the prius or the energi's, or the rumored sonata plug in, as they will not have the EV range that I am looking for)
The only real choice I have is to save my pennies and buy a 40 KW Model S.