Tesla Model S review – performance and 0-60 time
All models of the Tesla Model S can safely be described as brisk. Opt for the fastest Performance model and initial accelerative performance matches that of many hypercars
There are two versions in the Model S lineup, badged Long Range Plus and Performance, with both now utilising a 100kWh battery – the upcoming Plaid is said to feature an even larger pack, but the exact number is yet to be confirmed. Essentially, the higher the number, the longer the Tesla’s range and better the performance.
The slowest Model S, the Long Range Plus, can still hit 60mph from a standstill in 3.7sec, a more than respectable time for a big saloon car. The rest of the range gets quicker still, with the Performance model now taking 2.3sec for the 0-60mph sprint and the upcoming Plaid said to cover the same increment in under 2sec.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, wanted to create a car whose performance could match that of the McLaren F1 – a car Musk used to own in his earlier entrepreneurial days. Not only has he achieved that, but the Model S has rather trounced the F1’s oft-quoted 0-60mph time of 3.2sec, going a full 0.9sec quicker.
The acceleration the Model S is capable of is most astonishing at low speeds, and particularly off the line where it shoots off without any fuss or wheelspin, just a significant jolt forwards. It loses some of its impact while on the move, but the Model S can still pile on the speed at a respectable rate on to a limited top speed of 155mph for the entire range.
