Yesterday’s Tesla press event has come and gone, and while the company didn’t reveal any brand-new product, the “D” variants of the Model S promise all-wheel-drive, improved performance, better electric range, and a dual-motor setup under the hood.
The “D”, as it turns out, stands for dual-motor, and that would consist of a rear motor rated at 470 horsepower and 443 lb/ft. of torque, and a front motor capable of 221 horses and 244 lb/ft. That adds up to 691 horses and 687 lb/ft., and performance figures, as per Tesla, are now at 3.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 155 mph. That also happens to be 25 mph faster than the standard, single-motor Model S. The all-wheel drive feature should be just what is needed for customers from snowy regions to give the Model S a spin, as it naturally improves grip when driving on wet and snowy roads. As for electric range, Tesla is estimating those figures at 225 and 295 miles for the base 60D and the top-shelf 85D, both improvements of 10 miles compared to their rear-drive equivalents.
The “something else” in Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s “D and something else” teaser is the new Autopilot safety and driverless tech set of features. These features include forward collision detection with auto braking, which would help drivers by spotting obstacles such as cars and pedestrians. Adaptive cruise control smartly allows you to maintain the same pace as drivers ahead of you, while remaining in the same lane. All told, Autopilot features a total of twelve sensors – six per bumper – plus a camera located above the rearview mirror, and radar located within the front bumper area.
Pricing for the new Model D Teslas has yet to be confirmed, but according to Tesla, pricing should start at $75,070, or an even four thousand dollars more than the base Model S’ starting price of $71,070.