Tesla Unveils New Electric Car for Bad Weather

07.11.2016

The new version of the Model S will feature the letter D for dual motor, one of which will be in the front and one in the back of the vehicle.

The new version of the Model S will feature the letter D for dual motor, one of which will be in the front and one in the back of the vehicle.

Electric car giant Tesla (IW 500/384) (TSLA) on Thursday unveiled a new two-engine vehicle designed to perform in bad weather, featuring four-wheel drive and anti-collision technology.



Performance in inclement conditions was considered one of the weak spots of Tesla's existing models and, with the new car, the company is trying to win over drivers in regions where the weather is not the nearly year-round sunshine that its California base enjoys.

Founder Elon Musk said the new version of the Model S will feature the letter D for dual motor, one of which will be in the front and one in the back of the vehicle.

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Musk unveiled the new car at an event at Hawthorne airport in Los Angeles where Tesla has a design studio and engineering lab.

Musk said the new car will come in three versions: 60D, 85D and the top of the line P85D, with progressively higher engine power and speed.

The car's anti-collision features include forward-looking radar.

"It scans the car in front of you in the fog, snow and sand," Musk said.

The car can also read speed-limit signs and adjust the car's speed to comply.

The top of the line model will be able to reach 155 miles per hour, with acceleration that Musk described as "insane." It can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, he said.

That top-line new version will increase range by about 10 miles over the current version, to about 275 miles. The price will start at about $120,000.

Musk said having two engines will not slow the car down.

"You can dynamically shift the power from rear to front and constantly be at the optimal efficiency of both motors, so we actually overcome the penalty of the increased mass," Musk said.

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