The Tesla Model S Plaid, the most powerful Tesla ever built, was debuted Thursday at a flashy event at the company’s test track near its Fremont factory.
Tesla revealed the Model S Plaid has a range of 405 miles per charge, considerably more than the 390 miles originally announced. It will also have a Supercharging speed to 187 miles of range in 15 minutes. Chief Executive Elon Musk said the vehicle will feature the company’s most advanced battery technology to date.
One of the most jaw-dropping figures of the Model S Plaid is acceleration. The car will travel from 0-60 mph in under two seconds. With a single-speed transmission, the car will speed to more than 200 mph.
Another interesting feature is a unique yoke steering wheel, a sort of half-circle butterfly design. The wheel features scroll wheels that enable the driver to control other functions. Musk also introduced a new heat pump which offers a 30% improvement in cold-weather range. The system also enables the Model S Plaid to run at peak power for extended periods of time.
The Model S Plaid will also have distinct badging. Pre-production Model S Plaid vehicles have been spotted with a badge that says “PLAID,” however the vehicles displayed Thursday feature a graphical badge.
Musk called the car’s engineering “practically alien.”