Tesla lays claim to world’s fastest production car

SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla Motors crowned itself the maker of the world’s fastest production car , saying a new version of its Model S all-electric sedan can accelerate

SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla Motors crowned itself the maker of the world’s fastest production car , saying a new version of its Model S all-electric sedan can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in just 2-1/2 seconds.

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Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said it’ll offer a larger upgraded battery pack for performance versions of its Model S and X vehicles that will extend range, while also allowing for super fast acceleration.

The new 100-kilowatt hour battery pack means the high-end version of the Model S sedan, called the P100D, will be the world’s fastest accelerating car in production, the automaker said. The new battery pack is also available for the performance version of the Model X SUV.

The Model X is already the quickest SUV ever, Tesla said. But with the 100 kWh battery pack, it said the Model X P100D — as the new performance model is known — will now accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 2.9 seconds.

The new battery also extends the driving range of the vehicles, taking the performance version of the new Model S beyond 300 miles (482.8 km), Tesla said.

Musk said that meant a driver could now travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in temperate weather without recharging.

“These are very profound milestones and I think will help convince people around the world that electric is the future,” said Musk on a conference call with journalists.

The performance versions of the S and X without the new battery currently start at $108,000 and $115,500, respectively.