The Tesla S Performance puts out the same amount of carbon as a car getting 14 mpg of gasoline.
The Tesla S takes about 38 kW-hr to go 100 miles, which works out to around 80 lb CO2 generated. 14mpg would be 7.1 gallons of gasoline to go 100 miles, which works out to around 140lb CO2 generated. I couldn't find any independent numbers for the S Performance, but Tesla's site claims the same range as the regular S with the same battery pack.
The rest of your point seems to hold, though; if the subsidy is predicated on reducing CO2 emissions then the equivalent of 25mpg still isn't anything to brag about.
The rest of your point seems to hold, though; if the subsidy is predicated on reducing CO2 emissions then the equivalent of 25mpg still isn't anything to brag about.
You are right I did my math wrong.
To make it a little clearer to people following along, 80 lbs of CO2 generate to move a Tesla 100 miles using coal generated electricity. 80 pounds of CO2 to move a 25 mpg gasoline car 100 miles.
I'll address why the coal number is the right one in commenting on the next comment.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.