Tesla have just announced what many have rumoured online for months, the biggest battery pack yet. The new Model S P100D will do 613km on a single charge, but that’s not its headline feature. Tesla have engineered their EV system to allow the deployment of energy at speed, propelling the Model S from 0-60mph (or 100km/h) in just 2.5 seconds.
With ludicrous mode enabled this will be the fastest accelerating production car available. Those paying attention will know production lines were used in the manufacturing of a couple of faster cars, including the amazing Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder but are no longer in production and are certainly many, many multiples of the price and definitely aren’t 5 seater sedans.
The 100 kWh battery also increases range substantially and is clearly tuned differently outside the US, as Tesla says its good for a stunning 613 km on the EU cycle, compared to to an estimated 315 miles (507km) on the EPA cycle. By comparison, the P90D will get you 499km, and in a place like Australia with such large distances to travel, the extra distance afforded by the bigger battery (within the same space) is much appreciated.
To highlight the range possibilities with this car, you could drive the P100D from Sydney to Albury on a single charge.
When it comes to the old chestnut of range anxiety, its clear battery technology and a bit of magic from the engineers has meant it is practical to deliver large enough distances to travel long journeys without fear of running out of power. This has long been a preventative factor in people choice of EV or not, with range and performance out of the way, this simply leaves price. For that, we’ll have to wait will late 2017/early 2018 for the cheaper Model 3.
The Model X is also now available with the larger battery pack, which means the Model X P100D with Ludicrous mode should launch from 0-100km/h in just 2.9 sec, not bad for an SUV. You can transport the family for 542 km on a single charge, so with this announcement, Tesla have made a very meaningful progression on range.
If you’ve ordered, but haven’t received your Tesla, then those customers who have ordered a P90D Ludicrous, can upgrade to the 100 kWh pack for $10,000. That’s not cheap, but if you can already afford a Model S or X, it’s probably not out of reach.
So that leaves existing P90D Ludicrous owners, well Tesla are offering an upgrade to a 100 kWh pack, but for $20,000, as their used 90 kWh pack will have to be recycled. This is really the first time we’ve seen a price placed on swapping out the battery pack of a Tesla and while its certainly a substantial amount, its probably not as steep as many had predicted.
While the US site has been updated and the P100D option is showing, the Australian site, at the time of writing, hasn’t yet been updated.
