With pure EVs widely available, buying a new car has become a political statement

Tesla Motors' Model S 60 looks great in red.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Did you hear about the cramped C-Class sedan from Mercedes-Benz you can get packed with a 503-horsepower, twin-turbo V-8?

Who needs 503 horsepower in the congested New Jersey-New York metropolitan area?

The AMG C63 S has an MSRP of $71,900, and you'll probably have to visit a gas station every week to satisfy this monster with premium fuel for its 18-gallon tank.

The mileage ratings aren't listed on the company's Web site.

That's $2,000 more than the base price of my roomier, more luxurious Tesla Model S 60, which I brought home last week.

Climate change

Mercedes-Benz isn't the only carmaker engaged in a mindless horsepower race, which aggravates climate change and deadly air pollution.

Today, with a range of all-electric vehicles that can fit any budget, buying a car that still uses gasoline is irresponsible.

Supporting the oil industry has become political now that the Koch brothers are using their billions in a bid to buy Congress and the White House for conservative Republicans.

Fast and quiet

My Model S 60 does 0-60 in 5.9 seconds -- quietly and effortlessly -- fast enough to engage in stop-light grand prix starts with gas guzzlers from Mercedes and other manufacturers.

The car's electric motor is blessed with instant torque, so I love to see them fading in my rear-view mirror. 

Now, let's hope the internal-combustion engine fades into history.

Once you own a Model S, just about every other car on the road seems so, well, ordinary.