Tesla Motors’ head Elon Musk today dropped three announcements pertaining to more power and faster acceleration in Tesla models – and one of them should have the rapper-slash-“The Fast and the Furious” actor Ludacris pretty excited.
While many expected today’s press event would cover the Model X – which is still on course for deliveries in a few months – Tesla instead announced a new 90 kWh battery pack, a “Ludicrous Mode” upgrade and a starter-level 70 kWh Model S.
The 90 kWh battery pack will be available as an upgrade to all 85 kWh Model S sedans and extend the driving range by 15 miles – or 5 percent – up to 300 miles. The option will cost $3,000. Oddly, Musk also issued a caution that buyers may want to hold off on getting the upgrade since pack capacity is expected to increase about 5 percent per year. “Better to wait until you have more time on your existing pack and there is a larger accumulated pack energy difference,” he said in a press release.
The Ludicrous mode will be available to Model S and Model X owners and in the Model S, boost acceleration by 10 percent, meaning the already speedy sports sedan will zoom 0 to 60 in just 2.8 seconds. In the Model X crossover, the 0-60 time will be 3.3 seconds.
Finally, in an Apple-esque play – think iPhone 5C introduction – Musk also announced a 70 kWh Model S variant, priced at $5,000 lower than the 85 kWh Tesla P85D. The Model S 70 RWD starts at $70,000 but Tesla says the car will actually cost around $60,000 with an assortment of incentives and the gasoline savings.
With the latest announcements, Tesla Motors seems to have all the bases covered to keep it at the front of the electric vehicle market. We’ll keep you posted on Model X, Model 3 and Roadster news.
Photo Credit: Tesla Motors
