MELBOURNE: Tesla has revealed its new Model S P85D, which is a pure electric car and is capable of covering 60mph distance in 3.2 seconds only. Tesla Model S P85D is available in markets for $105,670 which includes a $1,170 destination charge, and it has an estimated range of 253 miles on a single charge.
What’s interesting about the P85D is how the car manages to make extraordinary quickness seem ordinary. Simply mash the gas pedal and prepare for a silent blastoff thanks to 687 pounds-feet of torque.
Despite the new front electric motor, the P85D still has that desirable rear-wheel-drive feel, and the smooth, quiet acceleration is paired with the best brake-pedal feel I’ve experienced in an electric car. You use the brakes a lot less than you do in a regular car — or even other electric cars — because the normal regeneration mode is very aggressive; take your foot off the gas pedal and the car immediately begins to slow, so much so that the brake lights actually illuminate to warn following cars. A side benefit is extended brake-pad life.
Ride quality with the air suspension, which is a $2,250 option, is firm but not harsh. Even though the P85D stays relatively flat during aggressive cornering, the experience isn’t particularly engaging. You can tell that this is a big, heavy car.
Tesla began incorporating its Autopilot hardware in the Model S last October. Designed for safety and driver convenience, the system is part of the Model S’ $4,250 Tech Package and includes active safety features like lane departure warning.
What separates Autopilot from many competing safety systems is that it supports over-the-air software updates. Tesla released an Autopilot software update in January that added forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control with a stop-and-go feature, and it expects the next software release will include a braking function for the forward collision warning system. Future software updates are expected to include a lane change feature, lane following capability and side collision warning. If you buy a Model S today with the Autopilot hardware you’ll be able to receive free feature updates in the future. Besides the car’s electric drivetrain, it’s this level of updatability that separates the Model S from competing luxury cars.
I briefly tested the adaptive cruise control and its stop-and-go feature. It smoothly brought the P85D to a complete stop as the car in front of us slowed to a halt, and then accelerated automatically when that car moved forward. It’s the kind of feature that would make the rush-hour commute through stop-and-go traffic a little easier.
The cabin’s defining feature remains the giant 17-inch touch-screen in the middle of the dashboard that takes the place of nearly every physical button. The screen’s graphics are bright and crisp, but my main problem with it is that the touch-screen controls don’t respond if you’re wearing gloves. Tesla’s smartphone app lets you precondition the cabin so it’s warm or cool when you’re ready to drive, but in the wintertime I normally keep my gloves on even after the cabin is warm. It’s a habit that’s not compatible with the Model S — unless you wear gloves with smartphone-enabled fingertips.
The P85D starts at $105,670, including a $1,170 destination charge, and it has an estimated range of 253 miles on a single charge. There’s also an 85D model, which starts at $86,070 including destination. It makes less horsepower (376 hp) and is 2 seconds slower to 60 mph (5.2 seconds), but it offers a slightly longer driving range of 270 miles on a single charge. The Model S is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit as well as various state incentives.
The Model S has been one of the few pure-electric cars to pique the interest of performance-car enthusiasts. With the new P85D and its thrilling acceleration, Tesla has a chance to convert even the most skeptical gasoline-fueled gearhead into an electric-car believer.
