Tesla’s fastest model may arrive sooner than expected.
Tesla started taking reservations for the Model S ‘Plaid’ last September, with the first deliveries of the $ 139,990 sedan scheduled for late 2021. The name Plaid is borrowed from the sci-fi comedy film “Spaceballs”, where it is used to describe faster than -speed of light.
The car has three electric motors with an announced combined power of 1,100 horsepower, the ability to accelerate to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds, a maximum speed of 320 km / h and a range of 520 miles between loads, which would be the best-in-class figures.
It will also use Tesla’s recently unveiled new battery design, which features larger, more powerful cells that are structural members of the package.
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In December, Tesla halted production of the Model S and Model X SUV at its plant in Fremont, California, opening up the possibility that assembly lines could be upgraded to produce redesigned vehicles.
Tesla did not confirm that this was the plan, but Musk on January 1 responded to a Twitter follower who asked “yo @elonmusk, how hard did you suppress the Plaid Model S timeline?” with a wink emoji.
On the same day, YouTube channel The Kilowatts posted a video of a Model S being tested on public roads near the factory, featuring redesigned front and rear fascias, along with wider fenders of the type featured in a high performance model like Plaid claims to be.
The Model S went on sale for the first time in 2012, but recently began to face its first serious competition in the luxury electric sports sedan class with the launch of the Porsche Taycan and the next Lucid Air, which promises 1080 hp, 517 miles range and a 0 -60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.
Although he could tweet about it at any time, Musk often releases new information about the next models during the company’s earnings calls and the next one is expected to take place in January.