Tesla Model S Plaid offers repeatable 0-to-60 times, better cold weather range, Musk says
Elon Musk says the Model S Plaid will be able to do "back-to-back 0-to-60s" with no loss of performance.
During Tesla's delivery event for the new Model S Plaid on Thursday, CEO Elon Musk reiterated all the things that make this EV so rad. It's got 1,020 horsepower, can accelerate to 60 mph in just 2 seconds and will top out at 200 mph. And more importantly, you'll be able to experience that beyond-ludicrous performance over and over again.
That's a key bit of news, as Tesla's EVs have long been criticized for their noticeable performance drop-off. But Musk says that won't be a problem with the Plaid. The updated Model S has a new heat pump and the radiator is twice as big. "You'll actually be able to do back-to-back 0-to-60s, go on the track, just haul ass," Musk said. "This car can do it over and over again and it doesn't get winded."
The Plaid's power curve is better than any previous Model S.
As you can see in the slide from Tesla's presentation above, compared to previous Model S variants, the Plaid not only offers more power, but sustains it for a longer amount of time.
Additionally, that new heat pump gives the Model S a 30% improvement in cold weather range and requires 50% less energy for heating the cabin in freezing conditions. "You'll see very little degradation in cold weather," Musk said, which is an incredibly important factor for EV livability.
Performance is obviously a key selling point for the $131,100 (including destination) Model S Plaid, so these improved thermodynamics are a welcome change. Musk even suggests Tesla might put the Plaid to the test in extreme performance conditions. "I think we gotta take this back to maybe the Nurburgring," he said. "See what happens."
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