Tesla Tests Model S With a Faster ‘Plaid’ Powertrain
Tesla has been testing a prototype Model S featuring a new powertrain dubbed “Plaid,” Elon Musk Tweeted.
The prototype can go faster than the “Ludicrous” speed the company’s cars currently achieve and the powertrain is “about a year away from production,” Tesla C|O Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday.
The Plaid Model S made its debut at Laguna Seca raceway, where it lapped the famous California road course in just 1 minute and 36 seconds.
The new Plaid powertrain, which employs three electric motors instead of two, will be available in the Model S, Model X, and the second-generation Roadster. It won’t be available for the Model 3 or the Model Y, Musk said. It will “cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors,” he added.
As Tesla pointed out on Twitter, 96 seconds is about one second faster than the “record for a four-door sedan” at Laguna Seca.