Tesla announces “Ludicrous Speed” upgrade for Model S

Tesla Motors said it was adding a new "Ludicrous Mode" to high-performance versions of its P85D Model S electric car.

CEO Elon Musk said yesterday that the upgrade would cost $10,000 (roughly Rs6.3 lakhs) for new buyers of the Model S, which had a base price of $70,000 (roughly Rs 44 lakhs).

Current Model S owners would be able to get the upgrade for $5,000 (roughly Rs3.2 lakhs) plus the cost of installation in the next six months.

With the upgrade the car would be able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. The company had referred to a previous package as "Insane Mode."

Musk also said Tesla would upgrade the battery pack of the Model S to improve its range, something it planned to do every year.

The upgrade would cost around $3,000 (roughly Rs. 1.9 lakhs), and would give the car a range of about 300 miles on the highway on a single battery charge, about 15 miles up on the current version.

Furthermore, the electric car maker, announced a rear-wheel drive version of the Model S that would cost $5,000 less than the standard model.

The upgrade would improve 0-60 time by 10 per cent, with a quarter-mile sprint coming in just 10.9 seconds. Tesla also promised a run of 155 miles per hour some 20 per cent faster than on a standard P85D.

In follow-up questions, Musk added that the upcoming Model X would also have Ludicrous Speed as an option, but due to the vehicle's weight, it was 10 per cent heavier than the S - it would likely be a bit less quick.

According to Musk, the acceleration would be "faster than falling," which was true with accelerator pressed to the floor, which would deliver 1.1 G of force.