“Fancy a go in a Tesla Model S?” they asked.

“When? Where?” it took a real effort not to scream.

Like many in our sector, I worship Tesla as not only the first company to get EVs right, but as true cleantech pioneers, shaking up traditional business models with their open sourcing of patents and sales of batteries for domestic energy storage. But I’d never actually had a go in one.

And when I saw the Model S, I was stunned. It is a very, very handsome car, clearly aimed at the Jag/Lexus market. I couldn’t wait to get going.

The only snag was this one is a registered taxi – the only Tesla Taxi in the North of England, no less – so I couldn’t drive it on the public highway. So we set off with Bryan Chater (above, right) of Phoenix Taxis driving, me in the passenger seat, attention split between marvelling at the car and scanning the horizon for a piece of non-highway tarmac so I could get my mitts on the steering wheel.

When you get into a Model S, the first thing you notice is not the massive legroom, or the stitched leather, or the fancy seats, but the colossal touch screen that dominates the dash between the front seats. It’s like 3 iPads glued together – and pretty much has that functionality – whether you want to monitor power use, check your diary, or, like Bryan, keep an eye on the cricket scores, it’s all there at the touch of a (virtual) button.

Phoenix Taxis have the biggest fleet of hybrids and EVs in the UK, mainly Priuses and LEAFs. They bought the Tesla with the executive market in mind. Bryan explained that many bluechip companies and law firms like to hire it to pick up VIPs as it gives out the right message – classy and responsible – while giving them an experience to remember.

When I did get a quick spin, my first impression was ‘smooth’. The last time I drove an EV, an Mitsubishi MiEV, I couldn’t get the hang of the hyper-sensitive throttle and regenerative brake, leading to a jerky ride worthy of a clown car. But this was easy – it virtually drove itself, to the point where when you take your foot off the throttle you can feel the braking ease in – a little disconcerting if, like me, you are used to driving a much dumber machine. The view out the rear windscreen is very limited, but, if you put the car into reverse, you get a wide-angled camera view on the screen, with guide lines to show you where you are going to end up.

If you want performance, you’ll get it too – 0-60mph in under 4 seconds is very, very fast. We didn’t go that heavy on the throttle, but when Bryan accelerated onto a dual carriageway, I could feel that firm push of power on the base of my spine. Bryan says the power consumption/generation graph has a moderating influence as it encourages you to maintain a pretty even power output, avoiding peaks and troughs and maximising battery life – almost the gamification of efficient driving.

When we stopped and got out (reluctantly in my case), there’s no handbrake, no engine off – you simply walk away and let it shut down. Even the boring stuff is impressive – an enormous boot at the rear, and a smaller one under the bonnet (Bryan keeps his valet kit in here to polish the car between customers). A truly astonishing machine – I could see why Phoenix were keen to invest – and why their clients get so excited about the nominally routine act of hiring a taxi.

Verdict: The Tesla easily surpassed my high expectations. At £54-79k, you’d hope so, but this car felt like the future.

BTW: Just for the record I wasn’t offered any payment for this blog post – and wouldn’t have accepted it if I was. Big thanks to Jen at WeAreSparkle and Phoenix Taxis for making a little dream come true.