The world’s quickest production sedan is coming to Australia next year. Yep, the fully electric Tesla Model S P85D has been confirmed for the local market with surprisingly low prices.
If you missed the news earlier in the year, the new Model S P85D, despite sounding like the name of a modem, is the quickest sedan in the world. It’s able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, which is quicker than all of the twin-turbo V8 German hot shots.
How does it do it? The Model S P85D is propelled by two electric motors. One of them turns the front wheels and produces 165kW, while the other turns the rear wheels and produces 365kW. This results in an overall output of 515kW, also making it the second most powerful production sedan in the world (behind the 527kW Dodge Charger Hellcat).
Being an electric vehicle the range is probably the main concern for most motorists. The less powerful, 60kWh base model Model S 60 (285kW) offers a range of around 345km. It can be optioned with the 85kWh battery to boost range to 460km (285kW). The range-topping P85D offers the same 460km.
Not only will it be the quickest and most powerful sedan available in Australia, it will also be one of the most luxurious and advanced. Inside, passengers are presented with a huge touch-screen interface that dominates the dash. The interior also showcases lots of leather and plenty of fine appointments that you would expect in a premium sedan.
In terms of technology, the Model S is able to steer automatically to stay within the lane, as well as change lanes automatically when the user taps the turning signal. It can also read road signs, judge traffic conditions using cameras, and automatically brake in certain situations. These impressive systems will become part of the Tech Package with Autopilot option.
Tesla will launch the regular Model S 60 and 85 in Australia in December, followed in June by the awesome all-wheel drive P85D. The entry level 60 comes with an eight-year/200,000km warranty while both the 85 versions come with an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Prices will start from the following (excluding options and on-road costs):
Tesla Model S 60 (60kWh) – $91,400
Tesla Model S 85 (85kWh) – $103,400
Tesla Model S P85D (85kWh) – $133,500
Range anxiety is still an issue. Plugged into a normal household powerpoint it charges at the rate of 6 kilometres travel per hour charge. I guess there will be expensive optional super chargers. It is still early days it seems, but its amazing to think this tech company can produce a car that drives as good as anything the big car manufacturers can make.
That’s for a US 110V outlet. Here you’ll get double that, except the necessary charging cable doesn’t yet exist and won’t until the middle of next year. What you do get, free with the car, is a 40A charger that you get an electrician to install in your garage that charges at about 50 km/hr. Every morning you will get in a fully charged car. The superchargers that you describe will be installed along major highways (eg Hume Hwy) and are not expensive – they’re free to use! Range anxiety is not an issue unless you have to go well out of the cities and that will improve rapidly as Tesla install infrastructure (which they are doing).
As for the price of $133,500, that’s a bit of a joke. With a decent set of options, stamp duty and luxury car tax (ouch!) you’re looking at little change from $200k and maybe a bit over. I have bought a P85 and am paying about $166k for that!
If implementation elsewhere is an indication, Tesla will build a series of supercharger stations withing a few hours driving of each other. They will be free – no cost to refuel. Likely too, they will set up a solar PV array and storage batteries to run the supercharger and sell power to the grid (if Ozzies allow such).
Tiger has it right – there are very practical home charging solutions that will have it ready to roll in the morning.
Between the two solutions the vast majority of use cases are covered. I expect if one is honest there are a number of instances where petrol range anxiety also arises in a large sparsely populated place – just have to deal with it. You may wish to take a horse or camel in some cases.