A software upgrade to Tesla’s new Model S P85D will soon, among other improvements, make the new flagship sedan even faster.
Delivered in much the same fashion as an update to your smartphone, the upgrade promises to shave 0.1 seconds off the P85D’s already impressive 3.2 second run to 60mph (96km/h).
For existing owners of the still brand-new hero sedan, the software tweak - described as a change to electric drive system's inverter algorithm - should prove a welcome surprise.
Tesla P85D 0 to 60mph acceleration will improve by ~0.1 sec soon via over-the-air software update to inverter algorithm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 29, 2015
The news was delivered this week in a tweet by Tesla founder Elon Musk, at the same time promising that a similar upgrade will also improve the now superseded P85 model’s acceleration, “but not quite as much”.
Software updates this significant are a rare thing even with today's advanced automotive offerings, but an 'over the air' update delivered via either home wifi or mobile data remains a uniquely Tesla experience.
New Australian owners are also receiving a software update this week, with one TMR reader describing "a bunch of new features and improvements" as the car's onboard computer is upgraded from version 6.0 to 6.1.
"Not a normal car experience, that is for sure," our reader told us in an email this week.
Revealed in early December, the P85D stormed onto the scene as Tesla’s new hero model.
Ostensibly a safety-focused upgrade in the form of all-wheel-drive traction, the upgrade also saw the arrival of a new ‘Insane’ driving mode.
That setting has seen a new video become a viral sensation online, revealing the reactions of passengers experiencing the sedan’s acceleration for the first time.
Catch the video below (warning: explicit language), and check out our Model S news and reviews here.
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7 Comments
"the upgrade promises to shave a full second off the P85D???a already impressive 3.2 second 0-60mph (96km/h)." "Tesla P85D 0 to 60mph acceleration will improve by ~0.1 sec soon via over-the-air software update" Which one is it?
It's me being terrible with numbers, clearly.
Elon's message says 0.1 of a second too which is at best a theoretical improvement; the way the updates work is pretty cool but the "increase in performance" is hardly worth getting excited about!
What is your problem?
I don't understand why you'd even want "the big three" (which is who these days anyway? Toyota, VW and GM?) to crush anybody. Competition is good for us all. I'd like to see "the big three" respond, then see Tesla and other newcomers do even better, and then see "the big three" do even better than that, and so on. That's what's good for the market.
There is a lot to be said about this car, that clearly stands apart from any competition. BMW, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and all other auto manufacturers stop folding under this pressure. Fact-FCV are EV hybrids. Fact - Hybrid or (Spin) range extenders is a cop out. Start from scratch and build an all electric vehicle. The EV platform has proven itself in any weather. From start to finish, EV is the future. Grow some b*lls, and get to work. The EV Revolution as Begun, time is running out. ***HYBRIDS WILL LOSE**This the EV Revolution**EV RULES** The best keeps getting better. The awesomeness of a seven passenger executive sedan that will run with the like of today's 2 seat super car. Beyond a super car itself, able to be updated world wide with just the push of a button. Once again proving the EV's platform superior capabilities.javascript:; Updates faster with user interface, able to leap 0 to 60 in a single bound. Look at it fly, it a Ferrari, it a Bugatti, no it Supercar. Supercar, disguised as mild mannered Tesla Model S85D fights a never ending battle for fun to drive, the environment and the EV Revolution. "The Revolution will not be televised", but it will be electrified. EVs RULE !!