The biggest problem with electric cars is that they don't sound that great. That's why Volkswagen fitted the up! with loudspeakers and Fatih Sahin. That's one way to make it better.
Here's the thing: you hear a V8 or a glorious sounding V12, and you turn around. Hell, you turn around even if you get fooled by a Honda with some oversized tube at the back! I know, I've been there too.
Now, if you see a Tesla Model S, you might follow it with your eyes for a while. You might also wonder what's it like to drive. But you won't hear it, so visibility is Tesla's only chance at getting you excited. With the Volkswagen up!, while being pretty nicely done, styling was secondary to space maximizing, so you need something special to have on effect on a busy street.
That's where Fatih Sahin comes into the picture. You sacrifice space, but become awesome in the process, saving polar bears and all. It's worth it.