He also pointed out that this is not the biggest pack the company could or will make. Those paying attention will know production lines were used in the manufacturing of a couple of faster cars, including the wonderful Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder but are no longer in production and are certainly many, many multiples of the price and definitely aren’t 5 seater sedans.
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In a surprise announcement this afternoon, Tesla revealed a powerful new battery option for its Model X and Model S that pushes the cars into new territory.
The Model X is already the quickest SUV ever, Tesla said. And that battery is an impressive one, giving the sleek hatchback luxury sedan a 315-mile range-making it the first electric auto to surpass 300 miles on the EPA’s test. Musk said that if the weather is not too hot, a driver could travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles without recharging. “I think this is really gonna send the message that sustainable transport is here to stay”.
Shares in the company were up almost 1 percent for the day, spiking following Musk’s tweet earlier today, but dropping after the news broke.
Owners who already have a P90D model with Ludicrous Mode and wish to upgrade their vehicle to P100D Ludicrous Mode spec will have to stump up US$20,000 ($26,000), with the higher price being attributed to the cost of recycling the 90kWh battery pack.
The company also acknowledges the P100D is a luxury most won’t be interested in, but again reminds us that it helps fund the incoming Model 3. Mr. Musk’s goal has been to create attractive electric cars that are in demand regardless of energy prices.
A filing on Tuesday showed that Musk is buying over half of a $124 million bond offer by SolarCity. He expects both of those products to enter production in less than five years.
The new battery pack will also be available on the Model X, “making the world’s quickest SUV even faster”, Tesla says.
The new model is a development of the existing P90D that introduces a new 100kWh battery that lends the vehicle more power, as well as a maximum range of 613 kilometres.
“Of course this is an expensive vehicle. But it’s very important to bear in mind that is what it’s paying for, the Model 3”, Musk said.
Tesla has been under investigation from USA safety regulators following a fatal crash in Florida earlier this year involving its drive-assistance feature known as Autopilot. The next software update will include “material improvement to autonomy of the vehicle”, according to Musk.
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The new Model S starts at $134,500 while the cheapest of its competitors, Porsche 918 Spyder starts at $845,000.
