Connect with us

Lifestyle

Tesla P90D Owner Reveals 0 to 60 Speed Details

Published

on

Elon Musk has quite the touch with the luxury car market and is ruthless when he sees a competitive advantage in the auto industry. Tesla released the luxury Model S P85D last year and announced this summer a new option with the P85D sedan, an extra 5kWh more range on the battery pack and the “Ludicrous” driving mode option.

Essentially, the Model S 90D provides more driving purity for car enthusiasts on an everyday basis and handling you can only get with a $250,000 track car, such as a Ferrari or even BMW i8’s road car.

Recently, Teslarati was able to interview Pete 90D (as he’s known on the Tesla Motors Club discussion board) about his new Model S P90D purchase. Of course, the first thing I wanted to know about was the 0 to 60mph experience in Ludicrous mode.

According to Pete 90D, the car has achieved 0-60 mph in 2.810 seconds using a rollout, but from a standstill it’s been as high as 3.236 seconds when tested on a street with a 1.689 degree slope. Pete claims that the car was able to reach 1.2 Gs during acceleration.

Ludicrous-enabled Model S P90D [Source: USAFsparky via TMC]

Ludicrous-enabled Model S P90D [Source: USAFsparky via TMC]

“Ludicrous (mode) is wild. 0 to 30 mph is still about the same as the P85D, but (going from) 30 to 60 mph is really intense,” says Pete 90D. The 90D has three driving modes: Sport, Ludicrous and Ludicrous + Max battery power. According to the new owner, the slower Sport mode has not been used yet and hasn’t experienced any difference in terms of speed when engaging the max battery power option.

“I always loved the high-end cars with crazy top speeds, but I haven’t owned anything that could compare to this P90D,” says Pete 90D. “I’ve driven a lot things with motors, from old rusted trucks, to turbo BMWs, to dump trucks and tractors, to luxury cars, but the closest to the P90D was the turbo BMW 325i.”

Advertisement

Pete was also looking for a high-end car that could handle really well. “I’m really sensitive to how a car feels on the road, but I didn’t necessarily want a track car as a daily driver,” says Pete. The D-models come with staggered, 21-in wheels and Michelin PS2 tires, 265/35/ZR21101y tires in the back and 245 in the front.

“The staggered wheels have made a difference in cornering”, says Pete.

Pete 90D was ready to order the P85D, all-wheel drive electric vehicle until the 90D was announced. “Driving the P85D really got me back into cars. The acceleration was nuts and I finally placed my order for a P85D,” says Pete. “Tesla had not yet announced the P90D, but the morning they did, I immediately called my driver specialist to find out if I could upgrade.”

The extra 5kWh of extra capacity was a big factor in choosing the 90D. “I love the low center of gravity of cornering and the constant power of the P85D, but having more power above 30 mph really motivated me, says Pete. Highway speeds and passing is also better with the 90D, according to Pete.

P90D Ludicrous Launch Reaction

Ludicrous mode reaction videos [Source: YouTube user Pete90D]

Pete does caution on having your head fully resting on the cushion when experimenting with 0 to 60 acceleration and at higher speeds, too.  “I have had some neck pain that became headaches simply from repeatedly accelerating without my head back (on the cushion),” says Pete.

His 90D battery pack provides 273 rated miles at 100 percent state of charge (SoC) and 245 at 90 percent. On a recent long-distance drive, he recorded battery performance:

Advertisement

I was able to drive 207.9 mi using 223.05 rated miles. Driving 200 miles from 90 to 10 percent SOC and the with TACC set to 65 and range mode off. I’ve heard the first few thousand miles the efficiency is worse so I’m going to do the drive again with range mode on and then another with it off after I’ve put on a few thousand miles.

Life is good with his lightning-fast, daily drives to town center and beyond. “I view the PxxD cars as an experience and, so far, it has been well worth it, I love my P90D”, says Pete.

 

"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

Lifestyle

Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update

Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.

The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.

Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video

With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:

To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”

Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Published

on

xAI-supercomputer-memphis-environment-pushback
(Credit: xAI)

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area. 

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs

Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.

In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.

“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.

Advertisement

Musk Foundation donation

Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students. 

The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”

“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.

The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

Published

on

Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

Advertisement

Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

Advertisement

In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

Continue Reading

Trending