What Is the Tesla Plaid Upgrade? Is It Worth It?
Reading Time: 3 minutesAre you thinking of getting the Plaid upgrade for your Model S or Model X?
The Tesla Model S and the Model X are two of the most desirable electric vehicles currently for sale. Both of these cars are well-appointed, expensive, and go very fast.
But nothing is ever enough, so how can you make both of these vehicles even more ludicrous? Well, you’ll have to go Plaid. Tesla’s Plaid upgrade offers way more power than the vanilla Model S and Model X. For the money, your family sedan (or SUV) will be transformed into an all-out acceleration beast.
How Fast Do the Regular Tesla Model X and Model S EVs Go?
The regular Model S, along with the Model X, are already plenty fast. Even in its base configuration, Tesla’s biggest sedan can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds thanks to its dual motor setup.
This makes the stately Model S family sedan stray into supercar territory. Clearly, there isn’t a huge need to update this car’s performance, but Tesla did it anyway.
The top speed is where the Model S could use some help, as its 149 mph limit is a bit tame. In terms of range, the regular Model S offers up to 405 miles. The Model X is also a stout performer in base trim, with a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
It’s difficult to imagine someone wishing for more performance from a large family SUV, but this is the crazy EV world we live in. The Model X also makes do with the same 149 mph top speed as the dual-motor Model S.
What Does the Tesla Plaid Upgrade Get You?
The biggest thing that the Plaid upgrade nets the buyer is the addition of a third electric motor. The dual-motor setup on the base cars is already plenty powerful and lends the vehicles immense grip via AWD. But, the addition of a third electric motor takes the super fast Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid trims to a different level.
In the Model S’s case, the third electric motor gifts the Plaid the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds, which makes it the fastest accelerating regular production car on the road. No other vehicle will touch the Model S Plaid’s acceleration from a standstill.
The top speed also increases to 200 mph for the high-performance Model S. Although it isn’t super practical for daily use, it does present some bragging rights. Of course, the quarter mile is also eclipsed in record fashion.
The Model S Plaid can complete the quarter-mile run in nine seconds, which is bonkers. Tesla made sure the Model X Plaid benefits from the same upgrades, which allow the heavy SUV to launch from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
This is crazier than what the Model S Plaid can do, just due to the sheer size of the Model X. Tesla says the Model X Plaid will complete the quarter mile run in 9.9 seconds, which is almost unbelievably quick for any car. But that’s what makes it one of the best EV SUVs for sale.
The mythical number that makes all these crazy stats possible is the 1,020 hp powering these two insane vehicles. 1,000 horsepower used to be the exclusive realm of million-dollar hypercars, but now a family SUV is rocking more than 1,000 horsepower.
The great thing is that these vehicles aren’t tuned supercars that require a delicate touch to make tons of power. Instead, they feature reliable electric powertrains.
Is the Plaid Upgrade Worth It?
The Plaid upgrade is absolutely worth the money. Tesla charges $31,000 for the Plaid upgrade on the Model S. On the other hand, you can bring the Model X to Plaid status for an extra $18,000.
The Model X is pricier than the Model S, to begin with. But if you’re considering buying a Model X anyway, it’s definitely a good idea to get the Plaid upgrade. However, the extra $31,000 to get the Model S Plaid might be a bit harder to stomach; especially because the regular Model S is already such a fantastic performance car it its dual-motor trim.
The Plaid upgrade is a must-have if you’re getting the Model X. Ultimately, the decision comes down to the buyer. But the crazy part is that these vehicles are so fast that you might not even miss the Plaid upgrade, even if you choose the basic trim.
Tesla Will Have a Hard Time Topping the Plaid Upgrade
It’s difficult to imagine Tesla bringing a mass-production EV to market that significantly improves its current Plaid lineup. Regardless, the upcoming Roadster promises to be a beast, so it will definitely be interesting to keep an eye on that.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-tesla-plaid-upgrade-is-it-worth-it/
Ref: makeuseof