Tesla Model S P85D Demand “Off The Charts”

The idea behind a halo car is to create a vehicle that gets people talking, and the 691 horsepower Tesla Model S P85D did just that. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Elon Musk says that demand for the top-of-the-line Model S is “off the charts,” but knocking off those last few 10ths of a second was hard, but necessary to change the perception of EVs.

According to Musk’s estimates, about 70% of the orders for the new Model S include the new Dual Motor Drive unveiled in October, and many of them are for the top-end, P85D version that will rocket from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.2 seconds. That makes it the quickest four-door sedan in the world, and has served to stimulate Model S sales in the face of yet-another-delay for the Model X SUV. Even at $120,000, the Model S P85D represents an incredible performance bargain, and the electric automaker now has a car that can draw the interest of both electric car fans and those seeking insane levels of acceleration.

In the interview, Musk also discussed the reason behind open-sourcing Tesla’s patents, and reaffirming that the cheaper Model III will be 20% smaller than the Model S, and about half the price. Musk also let it slip that the battery pack will be about 20% smaller as well, which will help reduce costs but makes it more difficult to reach the promised 200 miles of driving range. Musk also rehashed his desire to force the rest of the auto industry to start making long-range electric cars, and say its “mind blowing” that Tesla is still the only automaker offering an EV with over 250 miles of range.

But that will soon change as numerous competitors are lining up to challenge the Tesla Model S. Audi confirmed it was working on an electric sedan with over 280 miles of driving range, and GM is rumored to be at work on a 200-mile Chevy Sonic EV of its own. Even Ford is saying it could build a Tesla for the masses, and they just might.

But it wouldn’t have happened were it not for Elon Musk.

First Tesla Battery Swap Station Online Soon

Buried in last week’s exciting announcement of the Dual Motor Drive Tesla Model S was an interesting nugget of news buried at the bottom of a story by Automotive News. Elon Musk apparently told AN that Tesla will bring online its first battery swapping station in the next two months after remaining mum on the subject since last year’s debut.

Tesla’s battery swapping technology rolled out last summer as a response to a possible California mandate requiring fast-filling technology for alternative fuel vehicles. That mandate never made it into law though, and battery swapping seemed to be put on the back burner as Tesla focused on the Model X launch and the all-wheel drive system. For all the fanfare that came with Elon’s battery swapping announcement, all talk of the system seemed to disappear this year.

The first battery swap station is scheduled to come online between San Francisco and Los Angeles within the next two months, though unlike the Supercharger system it won’t be free. Rather, owners will be charged for the electricity, and either have to return and pick up their original battery or pay for the brand new battery based on the mileage of their original pack. For the trade off of about the same cost as a full tank of gas, they’ll be able to get a full EV charge in half the time it takes to fill up an equivalent luxury sedan.

Meanwhile Tesla has exceeded 200 Supercharger stations across the world, including more than 100 in the United States alone. While a few strategically-placed battery swap stations might not be a bad idea. As Project Better Place showed though, basing your whole company around battery swapping stations is a recipe for disaster.

But between free Superchargers and cheap home charging systems, are battery swap stations necessary? I reckon no, but Elon Musk may have other ideas.

Source: Gas 2.