At Tesla’s Battery Day event this afternoon, CEO Elon Musk finally took the wraps off the Plaid Model S, and it looks like it’s going to be tough for the competition to beat.
To say the Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive Plaid Model S will be fast when it is released in late 2021 is an understatement. It will feature 1,100 horsepower that will push it to 60mph in under 2.1 seconds. That puts it into the territory of the Tesla Roadster, which can reach 60mph in 1.9 seconds.
Lucid Motors recently made headlines by completing the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds in their upcoming Air electric vehicle. That record appears to have only lasted weeks, as Tesla claims you’ll be able to complete the quarter mile in under 9 seconds.
The range will be equally impressive, especially considering the performance. On a full charge, the Plaid Model S will be able to travel over 840km. That’s 200km more than the current title holder for longest range, the Long Range Plus Model S.
Shortly after the announcement, Tesla released a video showing off their trip to Laguna Seca with the Plaid prototype. In September 2019, an earlier version of the Plaid powertrain visited the same track and set a time of 1:36.555. Less than a year later, Tesla was able to improve upon that time by completing a lap in 1:30.3, more than 6 seconds quicker than their previous record.
Musk said he thinks with further refinements they should be able to achieve a time of 1:27, which would set a record as the fastest production car ever at Laguna Seca.
The new Model S is available to order right now on Tesla’s website. In Canada it starts at $189,990, requires a fully refundable deposit of $2,500, and will ship in late 2021.
The only thing more insane than Ludicrous is Plaid.
Arrives late 2021
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 22, 2020
