Being one of the top-selling electric cars, Tesla Model S has a lot in its credentials. Model S was first launched in 2012 as a fully electric sedan car. As of now, its Long-Range variant has an EPA range of 402 miles, which is higher than any other electric car. This was reported in many publications and was also confirmed by Elon Musk in his tweet. As far as the performance of Model S is concerned, it has the quickest acceleration capability. It is capable of achieving a speed jump of 0-60 mph in just 2.3 seconds. Being equipped with the dual motors, Model S is an All-wheel-drive variant that lets it keeps torque and traction under control. Other exciting features of Model S include the top speed of 163 mph, autopilot, 12 ultrasonic sensors to ensure collision-free driving, 17-inch driver display, 100 kWh battery size, seating capacity of five adults, and over the air updates. Altogether, Model S offers what one would like to have in the 21^st century’s electric car. There are some speculations about Model S redesign in the new Model S 2020. To have a clear view about any Model S refresh chances, let’s have a thorough look over recent changes and the probability of any further redesign modifications.

Recent Model S Refresh Upgrades

Since 2012, the year when the first Model S was launched, Tesla S has gone through a lot of changes. However, it won’t be wrong to say that though only a few modifications were made since its inception, but still, Model S hasn’t experienced the full redesigning or what one would typically call as Model S redesign.

Following are some of the changes or modifications that have been done for Model S over the last five years:

• Ludicrous Mode: Tesla introduced the ludicrous mode in the Model S in the year 2015. With this ludicrous mode, 0-60 mph was brought down to just 2.8 seconds. This feature was made available with a whopping price tag of $10,000.
• Launch Mode: Launch mode was introduced in 2015, allowing Model S to acquire quicker acceleration right from the starting line.
• Front Grille: In 2016, Tesla removed the faux-front grille and gave Model S a cleaner and smoother outlook. This upgrade gave Model S the impression that of a facelift.
• Glass Roof: In 2016, Tesla introduced three roof options for prospective buyers which included painted roof, solid glass roof, and panoramic roof.
• Performance Improvements: The year 2017 brought a lot of performance improvements for the Tesla Model S. The 60 KWh battery option was discontinued. This performance improvement must not be confused with the already introduced ludicrous mode. The ludicrous mode was available at the premium price, whereas these performance changes were made in the base version. With these changes, the 0-60 mph acceleration time for Model S75 dropped to 4.3 whereas the time for S75D dropped to 4.2 seconds. Moreover, the time frame for achieving the same acceleration jump for Model S100D was modified to be around 4.1 seconds. In addition to this, the range of 90D improved to 294 miles, whereas that of P90D was increased to about 270 miles. With these series of software and hardware improvements, power liftgate and glass roof became a standard in Tesla S cars.
• Simplified Product Offerings: With the base idea of simplified product offerings, Tesla discontinued many earlier options in the year 2018. Some of the 2018 changes include removal of a panoramic sunroof, removal of black interior, removal of back child seat along with 21-inches black arachnid wheels. Furthermore, they also discontinued referral programs.
• Improved Range and Battery Size: In 2019, Tesla S was launched with an enhanced battery size of 100 KWh. While the first version of Tesla S had an EPA range of 265 miles, the 2019’s Long Range variant was capable of driving up to 370 miles in one full charge. In addition to this, low rolling resistance tires were also introduced.
• Raven: Tesla S has recently got into a powertrain reconfiguration named as “Raven”. In this reconfiguration, battery upgradation along with featuring rear motor as that of Tesla 3 was done. With this reconfiguration, both Long Range and Performance variants can provide more range per full charging. As per the EPA reports, with the raven power train, a Long-range variant was able to drive up to 391 miles, whereas Elon Musk rejected this figure. According to Elon Musk, EPA tests were faulty and Tesla S has been reconfigured to reach the range of 400 miles. However, in addition to motor upgradation, this reconfiguration also equipped Model S with the new adaptive air suspension. This air suspension system is still adjustable as per the user’s input. For example, a driver can tell the car to lower its suspension so as to reduce its coefficient of drag on the highway. This adaptive air suspension now additionally features damping modes namely Comfort, Standard, and Sporting.

Chances of Model S Redesign

There had been a lot of rumors about Model S redesign. Some people said that the new Model S 2020 will feature a lot of hardware as well as software modifications. There were speculations that the new Model S 2020 version will include a wireless device charger, a new set of two batteries, changes in car’s interior, modified charging ports, and a redesigned suspension. However, these rumors burst out when Elon Musk himself tweeted that no such Model S redesigns are under consideration. In his tweet, he categorically said that only minor changes are done, therefore no Model S refresh version is planned or being launched. These minor changes are related to interior modifications or some minor hardware/software upgradation. For example, Tesla has been reporting to test Model S and X with some new battery architectures.

Why Tesla is Reluctant to bring Major Changes in Model S?

There are many reasons for which Tesla is reluctant to bring any major changes or a Model S redesign. First of all, since Tesla is not an ordinary automobile manufacturer, so it will not follow what others used to do with their old models, i.e., redesigning. Secondly, Tesla is focusing more on launching the production of Model Y and 3S to the overseas markets. So, in such a situation, spending on model S redesigning would sound nothing but a matter of extravagance. Moreover, even though model S will be redesigned, it would still be a sedan with no substantial changes in range. This is so because nothing prominent has been achieved so far in improving battery technology. So, investing just on some exterior and interior touchups would not reward Tesla with much cost benefits. Secondly, the current Model S design and specification already seem catchy and make it dominant the EV industry significantly.

Conclusion

Model S has been the identity of Tesla for quite long. Though its sale has declined over the past few years, still it is amongst the top five electric cars in terms of sale. Traditionally, it has been seen that after a couple of years, automobile manufacturers tend to redesign the old model with a couple of interiors, exterior, and featural upgrades. But, for the CEO like Elon Musk, conventionality is a matter of disliking. Under the forward-looking leadership of Mr. Musk, rather than relying on product legacies, Tesla is looking forward to touching down new EV horizons. With the official denial from him, there is no doubt that apart from minor changes, Model S redesign is nothing but a rumor. New Model S 2020 is featuring some minor changes, but those aspiring for major changes, it’s better to look at other amazing Tesla cars.

References

1. https://www.tesla.com/models
2. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1272678634952617985
3. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1148443699858292736
4. https://www.motortrend.com/news/2019-tesla-model-s-5-important-updates/
5. https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-raven-powertrain/
6. https://electrek.co/2019/07/09/tesla-not-refresh-model-s-x-minor-changes-elon-musk/
7. https://www.autonews.com/blogs/heres-why-tesla-doesnt-want-new-model-s

From the vision of Elon Musk to the trust of hundreds of millions, Tesla has evolved as the brand of trust, innovation, and sustainability. Over a few years, Tesla has very much been in debate owing to the vision of its CEO pertaining to electric vehicles and scientific niches. Elon Musk is pursuing Tesla with the vision of making electric vehicles accessible to every segment of the society, both at the premium as well as affordable prices. Seeing Tesla’s sheer commitment to the EVs, it won’t be wrong to portray Tesla as the electric vehicle mogul. With its production plant currently located in Palo Alto, California, Tesla is vouching for a wider ecosystem. Apart from EVs, Tesla is leveraging its experience to the number of solutions, such as solar panels, power storage, and battery power. While conventionally, automobiles were gauged on the number of parameters like top speed, safety features, and aerodynamics, the introduction of Tesla ludicrous mode diverted the attention of car enthusiasts towards something they need the most. In its most basic definition, Tesla S ludicrous mode is a feature that enables Tesla car to go from 0 mph to 60 mph in just 2.28 seconds.

Working of Tesla Ludicrous Mode

While a lot of vouching is being done in favor of ludicrous mode in Tesla models, there is a need to see that how do such systems work. Especially in the scenario when critics are comparing Tesla S and X models with the sports car like Ferrari and Porsche, a deep insight into the working mechanism of ludicrous mode becomes inevitable.

Taking an example of the Tesla Model S car, it uses an inverter that converts electrons from Tesla’s DC batteries to the AC electrons which are then fed to the electric motors. Simply, the more will be the number of electrons, the more packets of electrical energy shall one have. Subsequently, these elevated packets of electrical energy shall provide more power to the installed motors.

For transporting current from the battery to different modules, Tesla uses a large electromagnet contactor which gets controlled by software. This contactor connects the battery pack with an external load which can either be a charger, inverter, or any other load or circuit.

The algorithm that is embedded in the Tesla’s firmware is smart enough to control the amount of the current that is flowing through the contactors so as to provide constant torque to the motor. Furthermore, with the use of a safety fuse and this type of contactor, Tesla’s system can sustain the overshooting of a nominal current of 1300 amperes to the whooping value of 1500 amperes. This differential of 200 amperes is what activates the Tesla ludicrous mode thereby letting electric motors draw more current and so does the power. Finally, Tesla drivers can achieve the acceleration jump from 0 mph to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.

It must be noted that different users noted different times ludicrous mode takes to achieve a speed of 0 mph to 60 mph. While some people noted this time to be 2.4 seconds, whereas some noted it to be 2.8 seconds. Nevertheless, the time frame is well under three seconds. Furthermore, on his official twitter account, Elon Musk claimed this time frame to be 2.4 seconds.

Three-level Ludicrous Mode

Ludicrous mode is equipped with three levels so as to leverage users to customize this feature. The first level, known as ludicrous mode, enables users to enjoy the basic level boost to the car’s acceleration. However, for the most enhanced version, Tesla ludicrous mode has the second level named Ludicrous +. Ludicrous + enable users to have boosted 0 mph to 60 mph speed jump along with Launch control. Here the user has the option to use acceleration as well as a brake at the same time. Once the journey or race begins, the driver can release the brake thereby resulting in maximum power along with a strong launch. But for a more sophisticated user, it has a third level named Ludicrous + Warp mode. This level allows Tesla cars to offer more acceleration or in simple words more spontaneous 0-60 mph jump by increasing the heating capacity of battery packs.

A driver may find noticeable changes while going from level 1 to level 2, but once he/she shifts to level 3 from level 2, no substantial difference would be noted since the difference will be in a fraction of seconds.

Tesla Models equipped with Ludicrous Mode

Tesla offers a wide range of electric vehicles for their potential customers. But to maintain the balance between luxury and affordability, not every model is equipped with Tesla ludicrous mode. Following are two of the Tesla models that are equipped with Ludicrous mode:

Model S

Model S is a four-door sedan car that became the first car to be equipped with Tesla S ludicrous mode. According to the Tesla website statistics, Tesla S is estimated to commute up to 402 miles on one single charge. With the ludicrous mode, Tesla S gets the 20% boost in normal acceleration thereby achieving 0-60 mph jump in just 2.4seconds.

Model X

Tesla X is a 7 person SUV equipped with the Tesla ludicrous mode. According to the estimates of EPA, it can commute up to 351 miles on a single charge. It has two variants named as Long Range model and Performance. With the ludicrous mode, a Long-range variant can achieve the 0-60 mph speed jump in 4.4 seconds, whereas performance variant receives the same speed jump in just 2.7 seconds.

Conclusion

With its unique business model and visionary leadership of Elon Musk, Tesla is giving fierce competition to the automobile manufacturers. It is the innovative culture of Tesla which made it the world’s second most valuable car company with the market capitalization of $227 billion. With all these credentials, Tesla S ludicrous mode is another milestone that no one other than Tesla has achieved. An electric car capable of achieving 0-60 mph jump in less than three seconds surely made Tesla come ahead of its competitors. But keeping in mind customer’s needs and affordability, they do not offer ludicrous mode in every model. For those who want to have a good eco-friendly family car, a valuable sedan comes up in the shape of Tesla S along with an extraordinary Tesla S ludicrous mode. But for those looking for extended passenger capacities and enhanced cargo facility, a Tesla ludicrous mode enabled SUV in the shape of Tesla X comes as the best choice. Both of these models are highly efficient and come equipped with two electric motors so as to give users the lifelong experience of being in the car of the future.

Besides introducing new features enhancements in EV models, Tesla is also working on turning driving to a whole new autonomous mode. Find out more about EVs and autonomous vehicles by clicking here.

References

1. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/videos/a32605/Tesla-model-s-p100d-ludicrous-acceleration/
2. https://www.Teslarati.com/Tesla-ludicrous-inconel-superalloy/
3. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/798980894543343616
4. https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/Teslas-three-levels-of-ludicrous-mode-explained-and-demonstrated
5. https://evannex.com/blogs/news/Teslas-refined-engineering-gives-model-s-and-x-increased-range-and-20k-ludicrous-mode-is-now-free-with-performance-variants
6. https://www.caranddriver.com/Tesla/model-x
7. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/04/Tesla-shares-soar-40-after-analyst-says-firms-value-could-hit-13tn

I got a Trailer Hitch attached to my Tesla Model S. Here is the experience I got during installation and certification in Germany.

Electromobility has shown up to be the most convenient and reliable way of achieving green and clean energy and meet our future energy needs in a cost-effective way.

Given the current ecological and environmental implications, there is no doubt in the admission of the fact that we need to cut down our CO2 emissions. With the technological as well as economic development, our lifestyle has improved a lot. But with all these advancements, we are putting the safety of our planet at risk. In a nutshell, climate change, air pollution and oil shortage, demand for taking bold steps. Nevertheless, future mobility needs to be made completely CO2 neutral to reduce the major portion of air pollution.