In the tech industry, it’s common practice to send out an embargoed press release when releasing anything more exciting than a bug fix. But in Tesla’s world, things work a little different.
Early Friday morning, Tesla updated its website to add the Model S 100D, the extended-range version of the new P100D and now the longest-range EV in the world. In typical secretive Tesla fashion, the news didn’t get so much as one single Tweet.
The new Model S and Model X 100D use the same battery pack as the P100D, the extra-fast Tesla model released a few months ago. Compared to the P100D, the 100D trades performance and power for range. The 0-60 time is a pedestrian 4.2 seconds, way down from the insane 2.4-second times the P100D is just about capable of.
But in return, you get 335 miles of range in the 100D, compared to 315 miles in the P100D. An extra 20 miles won’t get you that much further in your road-trip planning, but it is enough to steal the crown of world’s longest-distance EV from the Model S P100D.
Far more importantly, the 100D is also cheaper than the P100D — a lot cheaper. The P100D starts at around $130,000, while the 100D is “just” $95,000. That’s only a modest increase over the Model S 90D, which has a range of 294 miles. So, in essence, you’re paying $3,000 for a three-digit bumper sticker and an extra 40 miles.
All the same changes have been made to the Model X lineup with the same pricing differences: the Model X 100D is about $30,000 less than the P100D, coming in at an even $100,000 and 295 miles of range.
