The Environmental Protection Agency of the US (EPA) has tested the range of the new Tesla Model S Plaid which comes with the big 21-inch wheels. It gets a 560-kilometre range which is lower than the range that Elon Musk has been touting but still mighty impressive for something that gets 21-inch wheels and the amount of power it packs.
It has also rated the long-range model which gets a 652-kilometre rating. EPA has rated the long-range model 120 MPGe while the Plaid S model with 21-inch wheels gets a range of 101 MPGe in highway and city driving combined.
The 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid will pack about 1100 bhp and a top speed of 322 kmph
What's interesting is the range on the Plaid S has increased from the previous model more than so the increase seen in the latest long-range model. The EPA hasn't released the figures of the Model S Plaid which gets 19-inch wheels but Tesla claims that it gets around 627.6 kilometres of range. That is around a 67.6 kilometres range difference between all the Plaid models which is quite significant.
Interestingly, Tesla has also reduced the capacity of the battery in the new Model S cars. Despite this change, all the models are getting a higher battery range than before.
Tesla is reaping the benefits of its vertical integration and supply chain management. It has been focussed on efficiency since day 1 and now it can use fewer batteries and make its cars more efficient. The new model S starts at $80,000 and the top of the line Plaid S 21-inch model starts at $134,500.
