Tesla Motors confirmed today long-rumored 100kWh battery pack will be added to Tesla Model S and Model X ranges. The new 100 kilowatt hour battery pack means high end versions of the Model S sedan, the P100D with Ludicrous mode, will be the world’s fastest accelerating car in production, the Silicon Valley automaker said.
The new Model S 100D will be capable of reaching 60mph in 2.5sec, making it 0.7sec faster than a McLaren F1. That places it behind the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder, but now that the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari are sold out, it’s officially the quickest car currently on sale. While those cars are small two seaters with very little luggage space, the pure electric, all-wheel drive Model S P100D has four doors, seats up to 5 adults plus 2 children and has exceptional cargo capacity.
The 100 kWh battery also increases range substantially to an estimated 315 miles on the EPA cycle and 613 km on the EU cycle, making it the first to go beyond 300 miles and the longest range production electric vehicle by far.
The larger battery pack is also available on the Model X, making the world’s quickest SUV even faster. Model X P100D with Ludicrous mode accelerates to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and travels up to 289 miles EPA and 542 km EU on a single charge. Model X is also a pure electric SUV and can seat up to seven adults.
Tesla customers who have ordered a P90D Ludicrous, but not taken delivery, can upgrade to the 100 kWh pack for $10,000. Existing P90D Ludicrous owners can also upgrade to a 100 kWh pack, but for $20,000, as their used 90 kWh pack will have to be recycled.
The drivetrains for both cars will remain the same, with only the larger capacity batteries being new, said CEO Elon Musk on a conference call with journalists. He also said supercharge rates would be unaffected, although charge times might increase due to the larger capacity.
Model S and Model X are engineered to be the safest cars on the road and to have the highest ratings from NHTSA. Both have access to the Tesla Supercharger network for the freedom to travel long distance for free. And every Tesla will improve over time with free over the air upgrades.
