Tesla has unveiled the world’s fastest production car, a Model S with a “Ludicrous Mode” that allows it to accelerate from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, while also being the first electric vehicle with a range of over 300 miles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk premiered the new 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack for dual-motor versions of the Model S sedan and the Model X SUV.
The only cars that can beat the Tesla’s head-pinning acceleration are the after-market Porsche 918 Spyder, and the 789-hp V-12 LaFerrari race cars.
For just $134,500, you, too, can quickly save the environment in luxury. The Model S with Ludicrous Mode compares favorably to the $81,500 BMW 7i, which only hits 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds. The only production luxury vehicle that even approaches Ludicrous Mode is the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe with manual transmission, which sells for $62,895 and accelerates from 0-to-60 in a more leisurely 4.2 seconds.
When Elon Musk premiered Ludicrous Mode at the company’s Hawthorne, California manufacturing plant, he stated that “the fastest car in the world, of any kind, is electric,” according to Bloomberg News He added: “In the future, people are really going to look at gasoline cars in the same way we look at steam engines today: They’re quaint, but it’s not really how you get around.”
The pure electric, all-wheel drive Model S P100D has four doors, seats up to 5 adults, and has exceptional cargo capacity. The new 100 kWh battery back also increases range on a single charge to an estimated EPA rating of 315 miles.
The larger P100D battery pack with Ludicrous Mode is also available on the Model X, making it the world’s quickest SUV, going 0-to-60 mph in 2.9 seconds and with a travel range of 289 miles. The top Model X has two trunks, seats up to seven adults, and retails for $134,500,
Musk cautioned that teasing another 10 kilowatt hours out of what was already the world’s largest car battery proved to be a difficult technical challenge for Tesla engineers. The beefed-up Panasonic batteries required a new wiring harness and changes to the seats to ensure safety. He suggested that initial deliveries will be limited to 200 Ludicrous Mode battery packs for several months, before wider availability.
Musk stated that the current Tesla battery packs are reaching performance and capacity limits and that the company will be shifting to a larger cell pack when the high-production and much less expensive Model 3 is launched in late 2017.