Faraday Future may say that the FF 91 will be the quickest accelerating production car on the market but taking the crown from the Tesla Model S P100D won’t be easy for it has raised the benchmark once again.
During a recent test of the 2017 P100D, Motor Trend managed to launch the electric sedan from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in a remarkable 2.2755 seconds, putting it ahead of the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 911 Turbo S.
Off the line, the Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode accelerated to 30 mph (48 km/h) faster than any other car previously tested, accomplishing the feat in just 0.87 seconds, 0.05 seconds faster than the remarkably brisk 911 Turbo S. In the Tesla, 40 mph (64 km/h) and 50 mph (80 km/h) passed in just 1.3 seconds and 1.7 seconds respectively, allowing the car to achieve a 10.5 second quarter mile time at 125 mph (201 km/h).
The secret as to why the Tesla is so quick all comes down to its electric motors and 100 kWh lithium-ion battery. Driving the front wheels is a motor producing the equivalent of 259 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque while the rear is driven by a larger 503 hp and 525 lb-ft motor. The Tesla’s launch control mode is also particularly potent, cooling down the motors via the air-conditioning system and slightly heating the batteries between each and every run to ensure optimum acceleration.
Will Tesla’s keep on getting quicker? It seems likely but Elon Musk has previously said the brand “will probably stop” at 100 kWh batteries rather than chasing larger capacity units, meaning the era of Teslas destroying all other road cars off the line may not last forever.
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