Tesla took the performance capabilities of the Model S to the next level when it announced the specs for the Plaid and the Plaid+ models. The latter was scrapped a few days back, so for now, the only new trim coming to the fore is the Plaid. Tesla officially showcased and launched the car at an event that also saw 25 Tesla Model S Plaid being delivered to customers.

The Tesla Model S comes with some really impressive specs. Some of these include 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds, quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds, 390 miles of range, etc. But, all these impressive things will burn a hole in your pocket as the Model S Plaid starts at $130,000; $50,000 over the other Model S trim.

The Model S Plaid Comes With Three Motors And 1,020 Horsepower

These motors come with carbon-sleeved rotors that help maintain peak power output all the way to its top speed. The all-wheel-drive platform also supports torque vectoring.

Another interesting feature here is Auto Shift. The car will engage the Drive mode or the Reverse mode on its own when you start. It will observe and learn the patterns and automatically switch to the desired mode based on the geo-coordinates. A similar logic is applied to the navigation as well. All you have to do is swipe up to navigation and the system will have the address in place already based on the day of the week, time, etc. For instance, the system will know that at 5 p.m. on a weekday, you head home from the office, or at 10 a.m. on a Saturday you hit the club, etc.

0-60 mph Time Is Under Two Seconds On The Model S Plaid

The single-speed car is capable of revving up to 20,000 rpm. The top speed is rated at 200 mph. Tesla noted that the power output doesn’t taper down as the car approaches its top speed, thus allowing all the 1,000+ horses to work till the very end. It is a sub-10-second car, too. The car can do quarter-mile runs in 9.23 seconds with a trap speed of 155 mph.

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid specifications

The Model S Plaid Is World’s Most Aerodynamically Efficient Car

The Model S Plaid is officially the world’s most aero-efficient. It boasts a drag coefficient of 0.208. It beats by the Lucid Air by the slightest of margins to take the crown. The Lucid Air’s drag coefficient is rated at 0.21; which is 0.002 higher than the Model S Plaid’s.

The Model S Plaid Comes With 390 Miles Of Range

The Model S Plaid comes with a new battery pack and module that allows faster charging and an impressive range. The estimated range on the Model S Plaid is 390 miles. We’ll have to wait for the EPA estimated range to be announced, but don’t expect much of a difference on this front. The car supports fast-charging up to 250 kW and can add 187 miles of range in 15 minutes! Elon Musk mentioned that there are 25,000 superchargers all around the globe that support fast charging up to 250 kW, and will support even faster charging in the future.

How Is The Model S Plaid On The Inside?

There are a lot of differences on the inside, but nothing that we don’t know about. It is a lot more spacious, especially the rear row. The front seats are slimmer and have been scooped to offer more legroom for the rear passenger. It comes with heated and ventilated seats. Other features include an invisible AC with hidden vents and tri-zone climate control, wireless charger, USB-C-type ports that support up to 36W and can even charge your laptop, 22-speaker, 960W audio system, etc.

The Model S Plaid features three displays inside the cabin. The first one is placed behind the yoke steering and measures 12.3 inches. The center console houses a landscape-oriented 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a new UI design. This display boasts of a higher 2200x1300 resolution as opposed to 1900x1200 previously. There’s also a new screen for the rear passengers placed between the front seats. Tesla says it offers PS5-level performance and supports up to 10 teraflops of processing power. It is even compatible with a wireless controller.

The Yoke Steering Has Made The Cut On The Production-Spec Model S Plaid

There were a lot of speculations about the Yoke steering making it to production, but it looks like it has. Elon Musk unveiled the Model S Plaid with the F1-inspired Yoke steering. It doesn’t even come with stalks! As we noted in our 2021 Model S refresh review, the headlights, turn indicators, horn, wipers, and cruise control/autopilot functions are integrated on the spokes as feather-touch buttons. There are two scroll buttons, too, and perhaps they could be used to operate these. I’m curious to know if the yoke steering has passed the safety regulation tests or not. We’ll have to wait to hear more on that.

How Much Does The Model S Plaid Cost?

The Tesla Model S Plaid is priced at $129,990. The prices were hiked by $10,000 just a couple of days back. It seems like Tesla capitalized on the hype the car has received. And, now with the Plaid+ gone, there’s no need to have a price gap between the Plaid and Plaid+.

When Will The Model S Plaid Arrive?

The deliveries of the Model S Plaid have already started. This event didn’t just officially launch the performance car, but it also marked as a delivery event with 25 Model S Plaids being delivered. Tesla noted that by the next quarter, it’ll up the production to 1,000 cars per week.