“There’s things that Tesla is doing that other brands aren’t even considering right now,” said Dickson, an operations manager for a large airline. “It just makes more sense.”
The rapid embrace of upscale electric cars by aspirational consumers like Dickson shows how battery-powered vehicles are primed to become a major force in the auto industry, with broad implications for mechanics, autoworkers, oil companies and environmentalists. While many have long predicted an electric car revolution, Tesla’s quick success in the luxury market — which often sets the direction for the entire automotive industry — shows that the tipping point may have already happened.