Tesla
Model S P90D
The
P90D is Tesla’s most advanced electric car to date. The P is for “performance,”
and D refers to the dual-motor setup that enables all-wheel drive. The 90 is a
nod to the 90 kilowatt-hour battery pack, which Tesla says boosts range by
about 6 percent. That’s good for nearly 270 miles, though you get closer to 300
in the slightly less potent 90D. Pretty much every other EV on the market
delivers 100 miles, max. Of course, they cost a whole lot less.
What
all of this means to those of you without a degree in electrical engineering is
the car has absolutely silly acceleration. Musk claims the car will hit 60 from
a standstill in 2.8 seconds, putting it on par with, oh, the Lamborghini
Huracán and McLaren 650S. Achieving such eye-popping acceleration requires
engaging something Musk, never one for understatement, calls “Ludicrous Mode.”
No, really. It actually says that on the dashboard display. (Ludicrous is a
step up from the “Insane Mode” offered in the P85D; owners of that car can upgrade
their electronics for US$ 5,000 plus labor.)
What’s
especially nice about the Model S is it becomes a remarkably serene luxury
sedan the moment you stop hammering on the pedal. The car is nearly silent, the
ride remarkably smooth. It helps that late last year, Tesla gave the car a
radar, ultrasonic sensors, and forward-facing camera that enable active safety
features like adaptive cruise control and the ability to brake if a crash is
imminent and stay between lane lines.
Tesla
says that sometime soon, it will use an over-the-air software update to give
the Model S “autopilot,” a limited take on autonomous highway driving that will
keep the car in its lane and a safe distance from other cars. The feature is,
however, behind schedule, like just about everything Tesla does, given Musk’s
propensity for over-promising. In the meantime, the Model S offers adaptive
cruise control that makes highway driving way more pleasant, and a lane keeping
feature that steers you back if you start to drift out of your lane.
The
P90D costs US$ 140,000 for all the upgrades. That’s a little more expensive
than the wonderfully sporty US$ 131,000 Porsche 911 GT3, but it’s still US$ 40,000
less than the 570-hp Panamera Turbo S (zero-60 in 3.6 seconds) and US$ 85,000
less than the 621-hp Mercedes-Benz AMGS65 sedan (zero-60 in 4.2 seconds).
The
P90D is well worth it. Sedans never used to be about having a good time behind
the wheel. Electric cars used to be more holier-than-thou than the Pope. But
Musk has changed the sedan to match his own ideas of play. Go, buy, enjoy:
You’re going to have so much fun.
