Tesla’s ‘Ludicrous Mode’ Means 0-60 MPH In 2.8 seconds

Model S Owners can upgrade their batteries to 90kWh’s for $3,000, The 70 kWh gets a price drop and Ludicrous Mode means 0-60 in 2.8 seconds.

Earlier today (July 17, 2015) Elon Musk announced over a press release today three upgrades and announcements for the Tesla Model S as well as updates on the Tesla Model X and S. First, Tesla will offer a base model 70 kWh Tesla Model S at an MSRP of $70,000. This price is consistent with the 85 kWh version of its sedan. Next, Tesla Model S owners with the 85 kWh version for $3,000 have the option to upgrade their battery packs to a 90 kWh version boosting the range of their most popular variant, the P85D up to 300 miles of range at 65 MPH. “Ludicrous mode” allows a Tesla Model S the ability to accelerate to 60 MPH in just 2.8 seconds and overall the entire speed range, makes the Tesla Model S 20 percent faster. Finally, it looks like the Tesla Model X is on schedule to be released in two months and the Tesla Model 3 is two years away.

With today’s addition, this is how the  Tesla lineup looks like,

• Model S P85D $105,000
• Model S 85D $85,000
• Model S 85 $80,000
• Model S 70D $75,000
• Model S 70 $70,000

Musk was also adamant about the amount of incentives available to new owners from certain states. California, of course, was the state with the most discounts for electric vehicles.

What got most of the internet on their feet and applauding was this ‘Ludicrous Mode.’ With the Tesla Model S P85D, the maximum amount of current at any one time that the car could output was 1,300 amps. Through some clever materials engineering that sees the use of Inconel instead of Steel on the battery pack, the output was increased to 1,500 amps. More amperage means more maximum power output to all four wheels. That translates to 762 HP from the P85D’s 690 HP.

"While working on our goal of making the power train last a million miles, we came up with the idea for an advanced smart fuse for the battery. Instead of a standard fuse that just melts past a certain amperage, requiring a big gap between the normal operating current and max current, we developed a fuse with its own electronics and a tiny lithium-ion battery. It constantly monitors current at the millisecond level and is pyro-actuated to cut power with extreme precision and certainty.That was combined with upgrading the main pack contractor to use Inconel (a high temperature space-grade superalloy) instead of steel, so that it remains springy under the heat of heavy current. The net result is that we can safely increase the max pack output from 1300 to 1500 Amps.What this results in is a 10% improvement in the 0 to 60 mph time to 2.8 secs and a quarter mile time of 10.9 secs. Time to 155 mph is improved even more, resulting in a 20% reduction."

Consider that this power bump comes with no model generation change. What’s even more impressive is that existing owners can get the upgraded electronics kit as well. It’s very rare for a manufacturer to add 72 horsepower to a vehicle and then making it available to the other cars already on the road.

Gearheads take notice. This is what car tuning will look like in the future. In order to get more power out of your electric vehicles, you’ll need a thorough understanding of electronics as well as a grasp of materials engineering.