The California-based company has already delivered the first left-hand drive cars to European customers, with right-had drive cars set to begin production by the end of the year, with deliveries from next spring.

The brand has also established new European headquarters in Amsterdam, from where corporate sales will be run, and has appointed a European fleet sales manager, with regional specialists to be appointed for each of the region’s key markets, including the UK, and conversations now underway with leasing companies and residual value guides.

‘The big thing now is not only educating them about the Model S, but also about Tesla and how we design and produce our cars,’ Batista explained. ‘It’s really a process of getting to know each other, of education. It’s critically important that those people who set or guide residual values are well informed and know what Tesla is about.’

The supercar performance of the Model S and its electric range of up to 300 miles for the range-topping model are set to be key attractions for the new model and Batista believes the UK will be one of the car’s three biggest markets, driven by overall volume and “EV progressive” tax incentives from the government.

‘I see a very heavy swing towards fleet, driven of course by the Benefit in kind tax advantage,’ he said. ‘It’s truly compelling. I think you have a lot of drivers of cars like Audi A6 and A8, BMW 5 to 7 Series, Mercedes E to S and if you look at what they’re paying per month in tax and look at what they wouldn’t pay with Tesla it’s super compelling. I can see that alone driving a lot of the share towards fleet.’

Tesla is also establishing a Supercharger network, which provides free fast charging for Tesla owners either as an optional extra or included as standard with the most powerful battery, and says a comprehensive network will be in place in Europe by the end of 2014.

The brand currently has six Supercharger stations in Norway and is rolling them out next in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.

The UK will also be included in the network and by the end of 2014, shortly after the Model S launches in the UK, Tesla said 90% of the population of England and Wales will be within 200 miles – well within the car’s battery range – of a Supercharger location.