Tesla Usher In Longest Range Model S and Model X Yet With No Fanfair

Tesla add a new Model S 100D to their lineup and with a new battery option will now be the longest range electric vehicle on the planet with its new capacity.

There's usually alot of fan fair and trumpeting when Tesla announce a new vehicle or release, but the new addition to their lineup the Model S 100D now comes with a 335 mile range, which will make it the longest range EV on the market. The vehicle which costs $98,300 has 20 miles more range than the Model X P100D and 41 miles more than the Model S 90D. Tesla quietly updated their website design studio to add the 100D to both the Model S and the Model X vehicles. This came just a week after Tesla added the Ludicrous+ mode to their software updates and with a battery upgrade will give you a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.4 seconds.

Tesla have decided to modify the 100kWh battery cell in the P100D to be added to a non performance vehicle which emphasizes range allowing for the EPA combined range of 335 miles for a full charge. Essentially, the 100D has the same battery as the P100D, just without the performance naming. The current range of battery cells from Tesla now include a 60, 75, 90 and 100 kWh, with a 75D for the more budget minded.

It seems like the range wars in the EV market are definitely stepping up a gear with Elon Musk saying that a 600 mile range vehicle may be entirely possible by the end of 2017, which could possibly signal the current lineup being revamped to take on this additional range and see fully implemented by the time the Model 3 is launched. With the current range of 335 miles in the current lineup, 400+ mile range vehicles seems very feasible in the near future.

In comparison to the current EV market, there is the Chevrolet Bolt which can do to 238 miles on a full charge costing $37,495, the Ford Focus Electric with their 115 mile range at $30,000 and the Nissan Leaf with a 107 mile range for $31,545. The upcoming Tesla Model 3 was first announced to have a 215 mile range at a price point of $35,000, but could easily be up to the 300 mile mark when released.

Many people's driving habits may in reality only cover a short range which many electric vehicles can currently cover, but range anxiety seems to dictate that people want something that can go up to 300 miles on a charge and hopefully rival their gasoline counterparts. With a 300 mile average range for the average gasoline car the full tank, it seems by the end of the year range anxiety will be clearly countered and at a price point we can all live with.