Tesla model S

Tesla Model S P85D

Not having to wait is a luxury. Saving time is the justification the privileged give for indulging in fractional jet ownership and hiring personal assistants to attend funerals and bar mitzvahs on their behalf. Ideally, the less time you spend doing something unpleasant, the more time you have to do something worthwhile. But it never quite works out that way, or Minute Rice would have ushered in a new age of enlightenment.

Tesla’s Model S P85D acts like a car built on the mantra “Waiting is for suckers.” This 691-hp battery-electric vehicle is for the impatient, the toe tappers, and the watch checkers. Tesla claims that the P85D is capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, shaving 1.4 seconds from the rear-drive P85 it replaces. To get down to that number, Tesla added a 221-hp electric motor to drive the front wheels. This secondary unit works in conjunction with the P85D’s 470-hp rear motor to provide four-wheel drive. A similar two-motor setup will be available on all Model S versions starting this spring, and the upcoming Model X SUV also will share the system. But for now, the most snow-friendly Tesla is the top-shelf P85D.
From a stop, the one-speed P85D has all of its 686 pound-feet of thrust at the ready. Power delivery is immediate, as in all EVs, but here it’s like driving a sports car in the lowest possible gear with the engine revving right at the torque peak, all the time. It’s shockingly quick. Kick the accelerator and the car jumps ahead on a surge of power. Eye a gap in traffic and you’re there. This is power at the speed of thought—there’s no waiting, no downshifting, and, really, no effort. A clot of Corollas can be dispatched with one quiet leap forward, putting those Toyotas in the only place they look good: the rearview mirror.

The neck-straining pull lessens as speeds increase. Also, our preproduction test car had a known issue that reduced power by about 10 percent at speeds above 60 mph. Instead of reporting lame test results, we’ll wait for a fully baked P85D to verify Tesla’s acceleration claims.
At first, the electric silence seems odd but then it soothes, serving to enhance the driving experience. The cabin calm at 70 mph would make a Lexus engineer envious. Fully goosed, it’s only slightly louder. The big battery pack in the floor acts like a giant lithium-ion mattress and muffles out road noise. Suspension crash barely registers, and even big whacks to the 21-inch wheels are nonviolent confrontations.
The electron-filled California king in the floor is seriously heavy. But mounting it low hooks the Model S to the earth. Tesla says a two-motor P85D weighs 4936 pounds, or 291 pounds more than a rear-drive P85, but it doesn’t act any heavier. Or, indeed, very heavy at all. The P85D changes direction quickly and without fuss. Even at the limit of grip, the Tesla remains eerily flat and unperturbed by cornering pressure. Keep pushing and the Tesla’s mass begins scrubbing away the edge of the outside front tire. An accurate and responsive electric power-assisted steering system offers three weights, from light to heavy. No matter the mode, the steering effort constantly changes and reacts to the road. Subtle vibrations paint a vivid picture in asphalt.
After living with the Tesla for a few days, the useful differences between it and gasoline-powered cars become apparent. You don’t start the Model S, you simply get in, place a foot on the brake, and select a direction of travel. Getting out is the same deal. No need to shut anything off, simply walk away. Lift off the long pedal and regenerative braking not only returns electrons to the battery, it also uses the electric motors to slow the car to such an extent that one-pedal driving becomes possible. In most driving situations, the brake pedal is only necessary for a complete stop or an emergency. And unlike other EVs and hybrids, the Model S’s brake pedal only actuates the brakes. Since the pedal doesn’t control both friction and regenerative braking, the pedal feels linear and normal, because that’s what it operates—normal brakes.
Luxurious isn’t how we’d describe the Model S’s interior. Austere and simple is more like it. Aside from the massive touch screen in the middle of the instrument panel, and the attractive gauge display, there’s not much wretched excess here. Up until now, the top versions of the Model S looked virtually identical to the $71,070 base model. But in a sop to the sybarite, Tesla dresses up the P85D with Alcantara touches on the dashboard and headliner. New seats look better than before and provide improved support and cushioning. There are also new sun visors and Mercedes-Benz’s latest stalks on the steering column. A full suite of safety tech—including collision warning, lane-keeping help, and adaptive cruise control—is being built into the Model S. Eventually, these features will bring the Model S to Mercedes S-class levels of self-driving autonomy. For now, Tesla is still finishing development of the systems.
The extra power, traction, and weight of the second motor mean the car swills the 85-kWh battery’s electrons. According to Tesla, the P85D has a 285-mile range at a steady 65 mph. Real-world range proved to be closer to 220 miles. Even at that, the Tesla’s range is great enough to avoid the compulsion you get in lesser EVs to hypermile or turn off the air conditioning.
Recharging is the part of the experi­ence that requires the most patience. On most 240-volt power sources, the battery gains about 29 miles of range per hour. Plug into a 120-volt source and the recharge rate falls to roughly three miles of range per hour. There are 135 Supercharger stations in the U.S. that will add approximately 150 miles in about 20 minutes, but they’re not always conveniently located.
Most Tesla Model S customers will be happy with 240-volt charging at home. Plug in at night, sleep, and wake to a car ready for another 200-mile day. Beats pumping gas. Aside from its recharging cycles, the P85D will never keep you waiting. Speed is the greatest luxury.

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Electrifying Performance

Tesla engineers made creating a 691-hp supersedan seem easy. The new 221-hp electric motor and front-drive differential fit neatly between the 85-kWh battery pack and the electrically assisted rack-and-pinion steering gear. The only downsides are the 291 pounds of extra weight and a front trunk reduced in volume from five to three cubic feet. In your dreams, Tesla’s creative types are hard at work on a Model SS powered by two 470-hp motors.