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Tesla Tips Model S P100D, the 'World's Quickest Production Car'

A new battery pack helps propel it from zero to 60mph in 2.5 seconds.

 & Tom Brant Managing Editor

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A new version of the Tesla Model S, unveiled today, can accelerate from zero to 60mph in 2.5 seconds, with the California automaker claiming that it is now the quickest production car currently on sale.

Nextcar Bug artThe P100D version of the Model S trails only Ferrari's LaFerrari and Porsche's 918 Spyder in zero to 60mph time, according to Tesla, neither of which are currently available.

The speed jump is thanks to a new, larger battery pack that produces 100kWh of electricity. The new pack also enables a range boost, with the Model S P100D able to travel an estimated 315 miles on a single charge. (That range assumes, of course, you aren't doing zero to 60mph in under three seconds at every stoplight).

Like most cars Tesla makes—with the exception of the forthcoming Model 3—the 100kWh battery is pricey. People who have already ordered a Model S P90D with "Ludicrous mode," but have not yet taken delivery, can upgrade to the new pack for $10,000. Existing P90D Ludicrous owners will have to pay twice that to upgrade, since their used 90kWh battery will have to be recycled.

Owners of Tesla's Model X SUV can also opt for the new battery, though pricing was not announced. The seven-seater Model X P100D Ludicrous can accelerate to 60mph in 2.9 seconds and travel up to 289 miles on a single charge.

Rumors of a P100D have swirled for several months, following the discovery in March of that nomenclature in a Model S firmware update.

About Our Expert

Tom Brant

Tom Brant

Managing Editor

I’m a managing editor at PCMag.com focused on PC hardware. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of Wi-Fi routers, printers, laptops, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I've covered most major consumer tech events, including CES, Computex, Google I/O, and IFA. I've also appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rainforests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

The Technology I Use

While most people buy a phone or laptop and stick with it for years, I’m lucky enough to use devices based on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows daily as part of my job. As a result, I cycle through lots of tech in addition to my IT-issue work laptop. (Yes, that's a ThinkPad.) Personally, I’ve also owned a lot of tech products both cutting-edge and cringeworthy, from the Nintendo GameCube and the original MacBook to the Palm m105 and the CueCat.

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