Tesla announces "quickest production car in the world" with Model S P100D upgrade.

Tesla has launched a full-frontal assault on its supercar rivals, announcing a battery upgrade for the Model S that will produce a blistering zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.

The all-electric pioneers today confirmed a new 100kWh battery pack for its flagship sedan and Model X SUV that will significantly improve acceleration as well as range, making the Model S P100D, equipped with Ludicrous mode, the “quickest production car in the world”.

The current top-of-the-range Tesla, the Ludicrous mode-equipped Model S P90D, will clip 100km/h in just 3.0secs, but the battery upgrade will see the P100D demolish the same sprint in a staggering 2.7secs.

It puts the Model S P100D in rare air when it comes to out-and-out acceleration, with only the most exotic of supercars able to keep up.

Tesla also announced the new 100kWh battery pack would also be available on the incoming Model X SUV.

To put that into perspective, Honda’s $420,000, 427kW NSX is expected to manage a 2.9sec sprint when it lands in Australia early next year.

It was a point happily acknowledged by Tesla’s marketing team, who took the unprecedented step of calling out their opposition, using a blog post to say: “The Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode is the third fastest accelerating production car ever produced. However, both the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder were limited-run, million-dollar vehicles and cannot be bought new.

“While those cars are small two-seaters with very little luggage space, the pure-electric, all-wheel drive Model S P100D has four doors, seats up to 5 adults plus 2 children and has exceptional cargo capacity.”

The new battery pack also extends the Model S P100D’s range to 613km – enough to carry you from Sydney to Canberra and back again, and then some – between charges, up from the 90D’s 557km and the P90D’s 509km.

Tesla also announced the new 100kWh battery pack would also be available on the incoming Model X SUV. Equipped with Ludicrous mode, the Model X P100D would be capable of hitting 100km/h in just 3.1secs, and travelling 542km between charges, compared to the Model X P90D’s 467km and 3.4secs.

The order books are now open for the Model S and Model X P100D internationally, though the Australian ordering system is yet to be updated. 

It’ll likely require a sizeable investment, though. The Tesla Model S P90D is a $202,000 proposition, or $223,000 with Ludicrous mode, a huge increase over the $161,000 standard 90D, which misses out on Ludicrous mode.

Internationally, Tesla is offering the battery pack upgrade for US$10,000 for those who’ve ordered a P90D but are yet to take delivery and US$20,000 for those who’ve already received their car.

Is the P100D your kind of 'ludicrous'? Tell us what you think in the comments below.