Nother CarGuy

Revealed at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona is the EPCS V2.3 Tesla P100DL – the new race-ready version of the Model S that will form the basis of the Electric Production Car Series. The electric powertrain seems to have been altered slightly to produce 778 horsepower (585 kW) and 734 lb-ft (995 Nm) of torque. With the cockpit stripped out for competition, the organizers say it’ll run to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.1 seconds and top out at 250 km/h (155 mph). As you can see from the pictures, the bodywork seems to have been modified as well, with blistered wheel arches and a racing-spec aero kit to help keep the car glued to the track through the corners. A full grid of these cars will be deployed in a 10-race season. Rounds will be held in Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Portugal, with the last race to be held at the end of October 2019 at Vallelunga on the outskirts of Rome. The series will be supported by an electric karting championship and an e...

More customers in Europe opted for a Tesla Model S last year, with the American electric car beating traditional luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW in their home turf. While the Tesla Model S has been selling more examples than Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-Series in the US for some years now, the same happens for the first time in Europe, Automotive News reports. Sales of the Tesla Model S in Europe have increased by 30 percent, with 16,132 cars sold in 2017. Mercedes sold 13,359 S-Classes for the same year, an increase of 3 percent. BMW sold 11,735 7-Series models, a 13 percent decrease over 2016. In the US, Tesla’s Model S sales were up by nine percent last year to 28,800 cars, beating rivals like the Cadillac XTS (16,275 units) and the Mercedes S-Class (15,888 units). Even the Model X is gaining traction on the European sales charts, as it managed to sell 12,000 units last year, which is about the same as the Porsche Cayenne and nearly 2,000 cars more than the BMW X6. “T...

The Electric GT Racing Series has attempted to get its feet off the ground with the Tesla Model S for some time now. The all-Tesla racing series was initially announced two years ago, but has just received FIA’s approval and could being as early as this year. According to The Verge, the Electric GT World Series will see heavily-modified Tesla P100D sedans with approximately 778 horsepower compete against one another. The locations, drivers, and championship schedule, though, are still up in the air. All they have said is that the series will race at well-known circuits, which most likely means the Teslas will compete at current or former Formula One tracks. Getting approval from the FIA is a big step forward. The race-ready Model S sedans recently passed official crash tests, as well. The series still needs to attract more teams, only one has reportedly signed on at the moment. But now that the FIA has given the racing series the okay, things should start to fall in line. Moto...

Tesla has announced that all new Model S and Model X vehicles will now come equipped with all-wheel drive as standard. It was only three years ago that Tesla first unveiled its dual-motor setup after Elon Musk shared a mysterious teaser image on his Twitter. Since then, an increasing number of Tesla Model S and Model X variants have been introduced with all-wheel drive straight out of the box. All-wheel drive has also allowed the two vehicles to redefine the boundaries of production car acceleration. It’s therefore of little surprise that in its December newsletter, Tesla has decided to announce that it will ditch rear-wheel drive variants of the Model S and Model X. In the newsletter, the automaker pinpoints the improved traction and all-weather usability of all-wheel drive as its key benefits, although we’re sure the added straight-line performance provided by dual electric motors has helped convince Tesla of its superiority over rear-wheel drive. Also, the lack of rear-wh...

A team of Italian Tesla owners have established a new “hypermilling” record, driving a Model S 100D 1078 kilometers (about 670 miles) on a single charge. The record beats one that set by a Model S P100D that drove 560 miles on a single charge in Belgium in June 2017. Hypermiling is a technique used to conserve gas (or in this case, electricity) which involves driving at a low, consistent speed with minimal use of the vehicle’s brakes. Following word of the June record, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that hitting 1000 km on a single charge should be possible. The company’s official club in Italy, Tesla Owners Club Italia, took up the challenge. They used a normal production vehicle outfitted with low rolling resistance tires with the air conditioning turned off. Five drivers completed the task in southern Italy in 29 hours, and noted that the drive was made easier with the car’s autopilot turned on, which “helped us keep a constant speed in the middle of the lane.” Followi...

Introduced last year as the most affordable option of the Tesla Model S range, the 60 and 60D versions were short lived as the Californian company has decided to discontinue both models. Announced in a short press release, the decision is official, and will be effective starting with April 16, which is the date when those still interested in the two entry-level vehicles will still be able to place an order. "One year ago, we introduced the Model S 60 kWh battery as a more affordable option to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. However, most customers ended up buying an equivalent to the Model S 75 kWh. To simplify the ordering process for our customers, we will be removing the 60 kWh option from our lineup", said Tesla. Tesla also have a solution for current owners of the Model S 60 and 60D, and it involves upgrading their batteries to a 75 kWh capacity. This means not only a longer range between charges, from EPA-estimated 210 miles (338 km) and 218 miles...

The provisional racing calendar for the very first Electric GT championship has been announced with things set to kick off an August 12 at Silverstone. The championship, exclusive to specially-built Tesla Model S P100Ds, will be the first series of its kind and visit some of the planet’s most famous racetracks. After Silverstone, the championship will head to Assen in the Netherlands on September 2. The third and fourth rounds will then be held at the Nurburgring DTM circuit and Algarve International Circuit in Portugal. Races will subsequently be held in Misano and Barcelona before the series comes to an end on November 25 at France’s stunning Circuit Paul Ricard. Each race weekend will include a 20-minute practice session, 30 minutes for qualifying and two 60 km races, reports Autocar. The Teslas set to be used for the first championship are based around the Model S P100D with Ludicrous. They have been tuned to deliver a brutal 778 hp and 734 lb-ft of torque, allowing each...

Tesla launched a dedicated website for customers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), CEO Elon Musk announced on Monday, as the U.S. firm continues to expand internationally. The electric car company said it will begin taking orders for the Model S and Model X, with deliveries of the vehicles expected in the summer. Tesla will also have a pop-up store in The Dubai Mall and is building a service center in the city. It plans to open another store and service center in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi next year. Tesla also announced that it had opened two superchargers with five more to follow by the end of the year. This technology allows Tesla owners to charge their cars in minutes rather than hours. Tesla said it also has 26 destination chargers across the UAE, which are at places such as hotels and shopping centers. It plans to add 50 more by the end of the year. Prices start from 275,000 dirhams ($74,872) for the Model S and 344,000 dirhams for Model X. Previously, cu...

As unlikely as it might have seemed only a few years ago for a big heavy electric luxury sedan, the Tesla Model S is one of the fastest-accelerating cars on the market. In top  P100D  trim with Ludicrous mode engaged, it'll rocket from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. But this version will accelerate even quicker. Unveiled live at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England, is the vehicle that will  form the backbone  of the new  Electric GT  series – similar to the  Formula E  championship, only with touring cars instead of single-seaters. The entire field will be composed of race-prepped versions of the Tesla Model S P100D boasting 778 horsepower. That's more than the  Ferrari F12 TdF  or  Lamborghini Aventador S  extract from their six-plus-liter V12s! Motor1.com  reports  that the competition-spec Tesla has been stripped of some 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of excess weight, helping to drop the electric racer'...

Capable of travelling 315 miles (506 km) on a single charge, the Tesla Model S P100D has a range equivalent to many ICE vehicles. Not satisfied with just matching that figure however, electric startup Lucid Motors says its Model S rival will have a range exceeding 400 miles (643 km). Electrek  reports that the standard model from Lucid will offer a range similar to the Model S P100D as its battery will also be about 100 kWh in capacity. However, an optional battery pack will be made available with 130 kWh of juice on tap, allowing for the 400+ mile range. Lucid  has created its battery packs alongside Samsung SDI and claims that they will be the most energy dense in the automotive industry and resistant to damage associated with fast-charging. Beyond offering an impressive range, the optional 130 kWh battery will provide Lucid’s  premium sedan  will breathtaking performance capabilities. Although acceleration times haven’t been released, it could dip below the 2.5...

A minnow it might be, compared to the Daimler and BMW AG groups, but Tesla has managed to beat both in the third quarter of the year – at least in the US. Specifically, it sold 9,156 units of the  Model S , while sales of the 7-Series and S-Class were 3,634 and 3,138 units respectively. So, for now, Elon Musk’s all-electric saloon is the undisputed king of the large exec segment. According to Digital Trends, Tesla pointed out that the number could indeed be higher. “Our Q3 delivery count should be viewed as slightly conservative, as we only count a car as delivered if it is transferred to the customer and all paperwork is correct,” they said in a statement. The launch of the impressive  P100D , which was rated by the EPA with a 315-mile (507 km) range, as well as the  updated Autopilot  might have something to do with this impressive result. Worldwide sales of the Model S during that period stand at 15,800 cars, while Tesla’s other model, the  Model X  S...

Tesla revealed details on its new range-topping versions of the Model S and Model X which are set to get  a new 100kWh battery pack .  The company claims that the Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode is the  quickest-accelerating current production car  you can buy right now, with a 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds.  The new bigger battery pack also increases the driving range to an EPA-estimated 315 miles and 613km on the EU cycle, making it the company’s first model to go beyond the 300-mile mark and the longest-range production electric vehicle on the market.  Numbers as just as impressive for the Model X P100D with Ludicrous mode as it’s now able to hit 60 in 2.9 seconds and travel up to an EPA-estimated 289 miles and 542km on the EU cycle.  Tesla says that current owners of the P90D Ludicrous versions can upgrade to the 100kWh pack for an extra $20,000 which includes the cost of having their old battery packs recycled.  Customers who have ordered ...

Earlier this year when the Model S 75 was leaked via a Californian air resource board, we already hinted at the possible release of a new range topping version with a 100 kWh battery pack. Now a Dutch blogger seems to have found the official approval through the Dutch vehicle registration agency (RDW), where it’s clearly indicated that the Model S 100D was approved on the 24th of June 2016. Further information on the approval sheet shows an exact range of 613 kilometers (approximately 380 miles) on a single charge. This new range is however based on the estimations of the New European Driving Circle (NEDC), which in reality is said to be a bit more on the optimistic side of things compared to the EPA rating. Therefore the real world range is expected to be far less than advertised. It’s however yet another step in extending the range of EVs and over 600 kilometers does sound impressive indeed. The new battery pack would also mean a boost in range for the n...

Tesla has figured out a new way for customers to buy into the Model S range, offering up the 60 kWh version starting from $66,000 before tax incentives. In order to end up with that price, you need to do a bit of browsing and remove some of the "already ticked" options such as the 21" wheels ($4,500), Autopilot ($2,500) and the Smart Air Suspension ($2,500). Also, customers will need to go with a plain color like solid white or black, otherwise they will spend another $1,000 to $1,500. Compared to  faster versions , the rear-wheel driven Model S 60 can accelerate to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.5 seconds and drive for 200 miles (321 km) between charges. Standard features still include free Supercharger access, regular over-the-air updates, maps & navigation with real time traffic information, removable dividers for the center console, automatic keyless entry, GPS-enabled Homelink plus a wide array of active safety technologies such as side collision avoidance, automatic ...

Tesla has  given the Model S  its first makeover since the electric luxury sedan was introduced back in 2012.  Casual viewers will notice the cleaner fascia that gets rid of the large, fake plastic grille replacing it with a slim decorative insert surrounding the Tesla logo and the re-profiled bumper with a slightly enlarged lower vent, while fans of the series will point to the tweaked headlamps that now feature full LED adaptive units with "14 three-position LED dynamic turning lights" as well.  These minor revisions bring the 2017 Model S’ exterior more in line with the Model X, as well as the  upcoming Model 3  that was previewed in pre-production trim earlier last month. Inside, the 2017 Model S gets two new trim accents, Figured Ash Wood Décor and Dark Ash Wood Décor, while also nabbing the Model X’s "medical grade" HEPA air-filtration system, which according to Tesla, “removes at least 99.97% of particulate exhaust pollution and effectively all al...