When one thinks of American automobile companies, the motor city trio of Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors come to mind. Two names that may not be on the tip of most American’s tongues, but could very soon become a force to reckon with in the automotive world are Google Inc. and Tesla Motors Inc.

Google is perhaps best known for its search page, G-Mail, and the Android OS for mobile phones. Tesla Motors Inc. is best known for being the baby of its founder, Elon Musk, who has built the company from the ground up on rechargeable Electric Vehicles. The latest of these vehicles is the Model S, which sold 5,500 units in the last quarter.

Google’s Flirtation With Automobiles

Google Inc. may be popular for its massive search engine, but the company has many other interesting facets to consider. The Internet giant has been testing a vehicle that just may be the next big thing in cars.

With permits in several states, including Nevada and Florida, Google has been testing out a vehicle that does not require a human to control it on the road. That’s right, Google, your friendly, neighborhood e-mail provider, has been testing a driverless car on public roadways for more than a year now.

While the company has yet to offer an idea of when this amazing vehicle will be released to the public, the fact that there is a working prototype is a tribute to the geniuses behind the design.
No doubt the car will use Google Earth and Google Street View to navigate, which will make it very accurate when going from one address to another. With Google’s world famous attention to detail the car is bound to have the bugs worked out before it is launched in a public arena.

Tesla’s Rise To Glory

Tesla Motors Inc began as the dream of founder Elon Musk. He wanted to design an Electric Vehicle that was feasible to operate. When Tesla started, Musk was running simply on his vision of the future.

That vision has now come to be reality, with the release of the Model S, Tesla’s latest creation. This vehicle has an amazing capability when it comes to operating range and feasibility. Tesla has made headlines recently, by maintaining a double digit market share in many upscale areas on the West Coast. In fact, the Model S has been the number one selling vehicle in several California zip-codes.

Tesla has also recently opened a line of Superchargers along the West Coast. These stations are designed to rapidly charge the vehicles manufactured by Tesla. This feature has been one of the big reasons for many new customers purchasing the Model S. According to statements from the leadership at Tesla, the inability to charge the vehicle when on road trips or vacation had been a drawback for potential buyers. The Superchargers have eliminated this issue for many buyers who have now purchased their Model S.

Tesla has quickly become an easy choice for the upper crust of America. With celebrities and CEOs alike purchasing the Model S, many other wealthy Americans are jumping on the bandwagon. Steve Wozniak, the cofounder of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently purchased his and the news has made no small splash in the tech world.

It’s not just the status of owning a Tesla that makes them attractive. At a starting price tag of just $59,900, the Model S is not a bad buy for those who can swing the cost. It’s far from being the most expensive vehicle on the market, so the rush to buy them is not just the status of ownership. In fact, reports indicate that these cars are racing out of dealerships because buyers actually like the features the car touts.

The Cars Of Tomorrow

With the new advances in technology today, vehicles are becoming more and more adaptive to the drivers. With companies like Terrafugia designing and launching their first flying car with a price tag of just $270,000, the future is closer than many of us ever thought. Toyota is also launching a futuristic car this year, with is FV2 coming to the Tokyo Auto Show later this month. This vehicle is controlled without the use of a steering wheel, and even changes colors with the driver’s mood. Tesla’s Supercharger stations and Google’s automated car are just the beginning.