Will the Tesla Model S P85D soon have its acceleration improved to 0–60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, via nothing but a firmware update?
Yes, that’s apparently exactly what’s going to happen… based on rumors (unverified insider information) circulating in specific corners of the net.
The interesting, but not necessarily easy to believe, information is coming to us via the user “anxman” of the Tesla Motors Club forum. Here it is in his own words:
I’m happy to bring you a TMC exclusive rumor. According to my sources deep inside Tesla, a firmware update for the P85D will increase its 0-60 performance from 3.2 seconds to 2.8 seconds. I have not personally operated this P85D, but my sources have allegedly seen it in action and historically these sources have been accurate for Tesla rumors. Please take it with a grain of salt because I have not seen or operated this vehicle myself.
My fingers are crossed — though, I’d rather see Active Blind Spot Detection and Autopilot features before this bump to the “Insane” mode.
Those who are currently doubting this information aren’t wrong to do so, but, it’s worth noting here that other forum members chimed in to corroborate the rumor. As far as how it’ll work, if true, another poster (“Raffy.Roma”) on the forum speculated:
Yes the 0-60 time can be decreased by optimizing the torque on the two axis. Actually I read on TMC that such a decrease was possible from the very beginning of the P85D life but that Tesla designers decided to get 3.2 seconds because they didn’t manage to have a continuos acceleration by lowering such a number to 2.8 seconds. In fact they had issue to harmonize the acceleration of the two motors.
Maybe that now in Tesla they managed to work out the issues between the two motors and get 2.8 seconds.
But IMO the driver should enter a password to get 2.8 seconds just to let him think twice before of using such an acceleration.
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
It should be noted here that Elon Musk actually tweeted a few days ago that “Tesla P85D 0 to 60mph acceleration will improve by ~0.1 sec soon via over-the-air software update to inverter algorithm.” Could this be what the “source deep inside Tesla” was referring to? Or is this just the first of multiple updates of this sort? Hard to say…
(Tip of the hat to Chris DeMorro over at Gas2 for bringing this topic to my attention)
Image Credit: Tesla Motors
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
