If you’re looking for speed combined with luxury and topped off with eco-friendliness, then Tesla is one of the best cars for you. With advanced features like all-wheel drive, autopilot, and an impressive all-electric engine, it’s no surprise that the Tesla models can reach some serious speeds. But what Tesla is the fastest? Is it the Roadster, Model S, or something else entirely?
Ever since the first Roadster hit the roads in 2008, Tesla’s vehicles have been among the most sought-after EVs, with many people craving a Tesla trade-in and various models ranking among the best-selling battery-powered vehicles. What is it about a Tesla that makes folks want one so badly? Besides the brand value, Tesla vehicles are well-designed and have impressive speeds.
This article will discuss the most powerful and fastest Tesla car currently available and include detailed information on the engine and performance characteristics of the model at various trim levels. We’ll also go into the technical details that make Tesla vehicles extremely fast, especially when compared to other gas-powered performance automobiles.
But before we get into all that, here’s the question you wanted to be answered:
What is the fastest Tesla?
The fastest Tesla, as of January 2023, is the Tesla Model S Plaid. The Plaid goes from 0-60 in approximately 2 seconds! According to Tesla’s official website, the Model S Plaid “has the quickest acceleration of any vehicle in production.”
There is a catch, though. In ‘Drag Strip’ mode, it can achieve these speeds after the car has been properly warmed up and initialized. It apparently takes the vehicle about 15 minutes to calibrate and assign enough power to make the astounding jump.
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List of fastest Teslas
All Tesla cars are extremely quick, and many can outrun even the world’s most powerful and expensive regular automobiles. The table below ranks all Tesla models according to their maximum horsepower and acceleration times.
| Tesla Car Model | Top Speed | Acceleration (0-60 mph) | Torque (lb-ft) | Horsepower (HP) |
| Model S Plaid | 200 mph | 2.0 sec | 1,050 lb-ft | 1,020 hp |
| Model S | 155 mph | 2.4-2.5 sec | 310 lb-ft | 778 hp |
| Model 3 | 162 mph | 3.5 sec | 302 lb-ft | 450 hp |
| Model X | 155 mph | 3.8 sec | 487 lb-ft | 670 hp |
| Model Y | 135 mph | 4.6 sec | 376 lb-ft | 384 hp |
About the Tesla Model S
Starting Price (MSRP): $104,990
When Tesla unveiled the Model S Plaid, their new high-performance premium electric vehicle, they claimed it could reach speeds of up to 200 miles/hour (322 kilometers/hour). However, when it was first released, it could only reach 163 mph. The car has since been upgraded to a top speed of 261 mph (408 km/h).
Tesla introduced a new ‘Track Mode’ for the Model S Plaid in early 2022, increasing its top speed to 175 mph (282 km/h). To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest speed ever recorded for a Tesla Model S Plaid or any other Tesla vehicle. It’s unclear what’s stopping Tesla from achieving the advertised 200 mph top speed. It may be the brakes, which Tesla now offers to enhance with a carbon ceramic kit for $20,000. It could also be concerns about the three motors or the battery pack.
And now we come to the hero of this story, the Tesla Model S Plaid.
About the Tesla Model S Plaid
Starting Price (MSRP): $135,990
Before the release of the Tesla Model S Plaid, debates centered almost entirely on the car’s contentious yoke steering wheel. However, we are here to inform you that there is much more to this automobile than just its unusual steering mechanism. Consider that it’s Tesla’s first triple-motor vehicle, capable of producing 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque, or that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under two seconds flat while still maintaining a range of 396 miles.
The Model S Plaid is not just the fast Tesla, though. It brings much more than that to the table. The Plaid uses an array of sensors and intelligent software to guess whether you wish to proceed forward or backward. Your routines can be monitored as well. When backing out of the driveway in the morning, it will know that you want to go backward, and it will know to go forwards when stuck in traffic.
The Telsa Model S Plaid is a daily driver that can effortlessly execute typical sedan tasks while offering a hypercar’s performance and a longer range than its competitors.
More: 10 Things driving a Tesla says about you
Why are Teslas so fast?
But why do Teslas beat out (almost) every other car on the road in terms of speed? How, then, can they be cheaper than a fully-loaded pickup truck? The answer can be found in the motion and power distribution of Tesla cars.
You can see at a glance why Tesla vehicles easily outperform regular cars by comparing them on a power band graph. There is a transition period between idling and the power sweet spot for gasoline engines, which is between 2,000 and 5,000 revolutions per minute (RPM).
The powerband graph illustrates the range of engine speeds at which maximum power and torque are produced, providing crucial information to both engineers and customers. In most cases, the engine’s peak horsepower is produced at a different RPM than the peak torque.
Electric motors have a different powerband than gasoline engines. In fact, the powerband of an electric motor is more like a power line, with little to no variation across different rotational speeds. Its efficiency can indeed be adjusted by changing its speed, but its power always begins at 100%.
What does this mean in terms of velocity, then? To reach its peak power, an engine must first be wound up, and once there, it quickly loses momentum. The drivetrain also wastes power by requiring gear changes that disrupt the system’s natural power distribution.
Acceleration has zero effect on Tesla vehicles because they receive full power at zero. Furthermore, since shifting gears requires a significant amount of power, this is mostly wasted when the tires spin. This is similar to a gas engine operating at full throttle all the time.
More: What Is a Tesla Supercharger? A Complete Guide
An upcoming Tesla model might be the fastest soon
Yes, we are talking about the much-delayed new and improved (allegedly) Tesla Roadster. With a Top Speed of over 250 mph and 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, this might soon become the fastest Telsa. Who knows?
More: Is the Tesla Roadster Delayed until 2023? All about the Most Hyped Tesla!
We promise to keep you updated about all the happenings in Tesla-land, just like we promise to find you the best rates for your Tesla auto insurance.
Way.com auto insurance is not just for Teslas, though. Whatever car you own, irrespective of make or model, we’ll find you the best auto insurance rates with free quotes from all the leading providers in the country. Once you figure out what insurance suits you the best, we’ll help you buy the policy online instantly.
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