A recent scathing review in The New York Times of Tesla's electric car has once again brought the fuel-friendly vehicles under scrutiny:

I drove a state-of-the-art electric vehicle past a lot of gas stations. I wasn't smiling.

Instead, I spent nearly an hour at the Milford service plaza as the Tesla sucked electrons from the hitching post. When I continued my drive, the display read 185 miles, well beyond the distance I intended to cover before returning to the station the next morning for a recharge and returning to Manhattan.

I drove, slowly, to Stonington, Conn., for dinner and spent the night in Groton, a total distance of 79 miles. When I parked the car, its computer said I had 90 miles of range, twice the 46 miles back to Milford. It was a different story at 8:30 the next morning. The thermometer read 10 degrees and the display showed 25 miles of remaining range -- the electrical equivalent of someone having siphoned off more than two-thirds of the fuel that was in the tank when I parked.

Critics claim they're too costly, not practical, and simply not designed to hold up in adverse weather. But is this selling the electric car short? Do electric cars have a place in today's auto market?

Tesla responded to The New York Times piece:

We are upset by this article because it does not factually represent Tesla technology, which is designed and tested to operate well in both hot and cold climates. Indeed, our highest per capita sales are in Norway, where customers drive our cars during Arctic winters in permanent midnight, and in Switzerland, high among the snowy Alps. About half of all Tesla Roadster and Model S customers drive in temperatures well below freezing in winter. While no car is perfect, after extremely thorough testing, the Model S was declared to be the best new car in the world by the most discerning authorities in the automotive industry.

Justin Hyde, senior editor for the Yahoo Auto blog, 'Motoramic,' will join The Daily Circuit Tuesday Feb. 26 to talk about the future of the industry. Paul Lienert, Reuters Detroit bureau chief, will also join the discussion.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TESLA CONTROVERSY:

Elon Musk calls out New York Times after Model S strands test driver (Motoramic)

Electric cars head toward another dead end (Reuters)

The Tesla/N.Y. Times fight is a sideshow (Grist)

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