American electric automaker Tesla responded to the gathering storm of competition in the EV marketplace by sharpening its tire-shredding Model S sedan.
Aside from levying something of a pricing alteration on pre-orders—the 3-motor Model S redesign comes with a price hike of $10K which, less a recent $2K discount, buyers will have to pay for the updated EV sport sedan, a surprise for Tesla owners-to-be after the price cuts of mid-October of last year—the news about the S is exciting.
The S is a performance EV, and the new Plaid+ iteration can launch it to 60 MPH in less than 2 seconds, an astonishing performance indeed. And moving on from the thrill of an acutely sensitive and very powerful electric drivetrain and its lag-free launch, the subject of the Long Range Model S’s capabilities is touted on the company website; that’s perhaps a more important figure still, speaking pragmatically anyway, and comes in at well over 412 miles on a full charge. The Plaid+ gets buyers the full spread, with optimal quickness and a 520-mile range.
There is also the appearance of a curious yoke-style steering wheel option. It might not actually be road-legal, but it’s generated the kind of buzz money can’t buy.
The entry-level Long Range variant starts at $79,990. You can step up to the Plaid for $119,990, or go all out with the Plaid+ for $139,990.