Tesla Model S Plaid, projected as the fastest car in the world, has been launched officially in the US during an event held on Friday at the electric vehicle manufacturer's Fremont facility in California. Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself drove in the new electric car, the performance version of the Model S sedan, on stage before hosting the event in his inimitable style. Tesla currently makes four vehicles: the Model S, X, 3, and Y, but the 3 and Y account for the vast majority of global sales. The company typically hosts one or two splashy events each year. They keep customers excited and plunking down deposits on products, assure investors that the future is bright, and generate an avalanche of media coverage–critical for a company that spends no money on traditional advertising. Here are the top 5 new features of the newly launched world's fastest-ever car:
1. In addition to the extremely quick 0-to-60-mph time, Tesla actually quotes 1.99 seconds, but come on the Model S Plaid will allegedly run the quarter-mile in a blistering 9.2 seconds at 155 mph. For comparison, a McLaren 765LT can run the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds.
2. It consists of three motors which collectively put down around 1,000 horsepower, and the car can reach a top speed of 200 miles per hour, though only when outfitted with certain wheels and tires that won’t be available until later this year.
3. The Model S now has a horizontal touchscreen like the one found in the Model 3 and Model Y, but with a bigger 17-inch version with smaller bezels. Unlike Model 3 and Model Y, there’s a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.
4. Tesla is facing increasing competition as other automakers get into the pure battery-electric segment. Competition for the Model S Plaid today includes the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron and will include the forthcoming Lucid Air and Mercedes EQS, among others.
5. The Model S Plaid has been launched at a price of 129,990 dollars (roughly converted to almost ₹95 lakh). The earlier price of 119,990 dollars was hiked by Tesla just 24 hours before the event, along with price hikes for some of its other models too.
