Tesla unveiled a bundle of optional upgrades for the Model S sedan, including a series of software updates, a battery upgrade from 85 to 90 kWh, and the introduction of “ludicrous mode,” which should enable the S to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds.
The battery upgrade, at $3,000, will lengthen the range of Model S by 15 miles, to almost 300 miles when driving at 65 MPH with a fully charged tank. Tesla is also introducing a single motor Model S for $70,000, $5,000 less than the dual motor version.
“Ludicrous mode,” which costs $10,000 to install, is the next iteration of the Model S’s “insane mode,” which propels the vehicle from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. After “ludicrous mode” will be “maximum plaid,” which is reserved for the next generation Tesla Roadster four years from now.
Musk said he had been testing the 7.0 firmware update everyday, which will include an autopilot option when driving on the highway.
In the first quarter of 2015, there were nearly 6,000 new registrations of the Model S, making it the best-selling electric car in America. Tesla said it shipped more than 11,000 Model S vehicles in the second quarter of 2015, up 52 percent from the same period last year.
Musk said that the Model X, a sports utility vehicle which he said will double Tesla’s sales, will start shipping in 2 months. Tesla is also working on the “ludicrous mode” for the Model X, aiming for 0 to 60 in 3 seconds.
There was no new information about the Model 3, a mass-market sedan that’s expected to be priced at $35,000 with a release date set more than two years from now.
