P90DL 0-60: 2.8 seconds or 3.1 seconds?

[tmarcc]

I've seen lots of online sources indicating that the P90D + ludicrous speed upgrade achieves a 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. An example would be one of Tesla's marketing pages from earlier this month:

web.archive.org/web/20160812073133/Model S | Tesla

However, all the Tesla P90DL inventory spec sheets that I've seen (example attached) show a zero-60 in 3.1 seconds.

Why the discrepancy?

 

[ggnykk]

Best educated guess is that Tesla take away the one-foot roll out in the 0-60 mph measurement. So it became 3.1 second and put a perceived bigger separation from the P100DL performance number. So consumer is more willing to pay up for the P100DL.

Don't worry about the 2.8 second vs 3.1 second, it means the same performance for the older (prior to refresh) P90DL. The P90DL refresh that are built in the last two months perform a bit faster than the old P90DL.

 

[mdevp]

Drag Times got 2.65s with rollout.

 

[tmarcc]

I do think it's curious that Tesla itself has been providing inconsistent 0-60 information on the P90D: using two different times for the same vehicle. I'd be curious if the one-foot roll was the reason, and why it wouldn't be noted on their collateral (it seems perfect for an "asterisk"-type comment). Here are some other reasons I pondered:

• It's due to some sort of consumer representation compliance matter. For example, the vehicle must hit 0-60 in 2.8 seconds a certain percentage of time for the company to claim it publicly. But third-party testing, such as the Drag Times mentioned by mdevp seems to support the shorter time. So perhaps that's not it.
• They use the more conservative 3.1 0-60 time time on car-specific/sales spec sheets to prevent a buyer from having standing to return a vehicle if that particular car didn't consistently hit the 2.8 time.

In any case, the time difference claimed by Tesla between 3.1 and 2.8 seconds isn't particularly material (to me anyway). I just find Tesla's collateral curious.

 

[dalamchops]

Inventory just lists the base time (3.1), the spec header doesn't change even though it has ludicrous.

 

[ggnykk]

I do think it's curious that Tesla itself has been providing inconsistent 0-60 information on the P90D: using two different times for the same vehicle. I'd be curious if the one-foot roll was the reason, and why it wouldn't be noted on their collateral (it seems perfect for an "asterisk"-type comment). Here are some other reasons I pondered:

• It's due to some sort of consumer representation compliance matter. For example, the vehicle must hit 0-60 in 2.8 seconds a certain percentage of time for the company to claim it publicly. But third-party testing, such as the Drag Times mentioned by mdevp seems to support the shorter time. So perhaps that's not it.
• They use the more conservative 3.1 0-60 time time on car-specific/sales spec sheets to prevent a buyer from having standing to return a vehicle if that particular car didn't consistently hit the 2.8 time.

In any case, the time difference claimed by Tesla between 3.1 and 2.8 seconds isn't particularly material (to me anyway). I just find Tesla's collateral curious.

Almost all car company exaggerated their claims in some shape or form. 0-60 mph, top speed, horsepower, fuel efficiency....the list goes on and on. Also, it is basically an industry standard in US to have one foot roll out included in the 0-60 mph time. That's how almost all car magazine and car company reviews/claims the cars.