Tesla unveils 762-hp 'Ludicrous' model as new competitor emerges
This is getting ridiculous.
Telsa has introduced the latest upgrades for its electric Model S sedan. The top of the line P85D is now available with up to 762 hp, making it the most powerful American car ever, and one of the quickest in the world.
That's compared to the current max of 691 hp, and was made possible through the development of a new type of fuse that allows for an increase in the output of the car's battery pack from 1300 to 1500 amps.
Instead of a conventional dumb fuse that simply melts when it gets too hot, the new one has its own battery-powered monitor which allows it monitors the current more precisely, and uses a pyrotechnic charge to cut the circuit.
To unlock full power, you need to engage "Ludicrous Mode," a tip of the hat to the 1987 sci-fi farce, "Spaceballs."
When you do, Tesla says it's good for a 0-60 mph run in 2.8 seconds and can do the quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds, a tenth quicker in the quarter than the 707-hp Dodge Charger Hellcat. The option adds $10,000 to the P85D's starting price of $106,200, but existing owners can get their cars upgraded for $5,000.
Plan on using all of that power often? Tesla is also offering its largest battery pack yet, a 90 kWh unit that costs $3,000 over the 85 kWh pack, and improves on its 253-mile range by 6 percent.
The announcement of the new features came just days after a California-based startup automaker named Faraday Future unveiled plans to start selling an electric vehicle in 2017. The low-profile company is working out of a former Nissan technical center and tells Motor Trend it has hired several former Tesla employees, along with veterans from BMW and Chevrolet's electric car programs.
Like Tesla, it takes its name from one of the pioneers in the field of electrical engineering, Michael Faraday.
Details on the vehicle are still scarce, but Faraday Future says that it will feature a 98 kWh battery pack and a high-level of connectivity. Teaser images that have been released suggest that it could be a crossover-type car, like Tesla's upcoming Model X, which will also be offered with the larger battery and Ludicrous Mode.
If none of this sounds electrifying enough for you, don't worry, because a new Tesla Roadster is on the way within four years. Its top speed? Tesla CEO Elon Musk says "maximum plaid."
May the schwartz be with him.
