Agent47 Posted September 23, 2020 Posted September 23, 2020 Tesla has confirmed that the long-awaited Model S Plaid, the newest and most powerful version of its larger electric saloon, will go into production late next year. Announced at the company's Battery Day, the Plaid will use three motors to produce around 1100bhp. It will be capable of 0-60mph in less than 2.0sec and have a top speed of 200mph, which Tesla claims will make it the most powerful and quickest-accelerating production car in the world. A higher-capacity battery, likely using the improved battery technology also announced during the event, promises to deliver as much as 520 miles on a single charge. Prices are set to start from £130,980 in the UK, with pre-orders now being accepted. Deliveries are exptected to begin in late 2021. During the car's unveiling, Tesla showed a video clip of a Model S Plaid lapping the Laguna Seca racew track in 1min 30.3sec – a 6sec improvement over the prototype it tested there in 2019. The company has yet to fully reveal the car's exterior design, offering only short glimpses in a teaser video. Plaid prototypes had previously been spotted testing at the Nürburgring with a dramatic aerodynamic package, but this latest footage suggests the design will be toned down for production, with a more modest rear spoiler and higher ride height. Tweets from the official Tesla account suggest the American company is planning to return to the German circuit later this year to challenge the lap time set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. Speaking to investors and analysts on a recent conference call, Musk stressed that “we will not succeed in our mission if we don’t make cars affordable”, adding: “The thing that bugs me the most about where we are right now is that our cars aren’t affordable enough. We need to fix that”. While not revealing specifics, in order to keep future Tesla product launches as surprising as possible, Musk confirmed that “it would be reasonable to assume that we would make a compact vehicle of some kind and probably a higher-capacity vehicle of some kind”. Although likely to be some way off – given that Tesla still has to start production of its Semi lorry, Roadster supercar and Cybertruck pick-up – a more affordable model than the Model 3 will be crucial to ensure that the brand can compete on real terms with the new Volkswagen ID 3 and Peugeot e-208 hatchbacks. The former will eventually start from around £27,500 for the entry-level 45kWh model, while the cheapest Model 3 available in the UK today costs £43,490 (both prices are before the UK government’s £3000 grant for electric cars).
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