Tesla announces ‘Ludicrous Speed’ upgrade for its Model S

17 Jul 2015

The Tesla Model S. Photo via Shutterstock

“Lightspeed is too slow. We’ll have to go right to ‘Ludicrous Speed’.”

That wee pearler of dialogue, as delivered by Rick Moranis’s Lord Dark Helmet in Mel Brooks’ 1987 comedy Spaceballs, must have been rattling around Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s head when he named the newest upgrades for the company’s Model S electric car. As reported by Fortune, owners can now enhance their vehicle with a longer battery range and faster acceleration speed, the latter of which is called, get this, ‘Ludicrous Mode’.

The battery upgrade brings the 85 kilowatt hour battery pack up to 90 kilowatts, which equates to about 15 miles of range. It’s set to cost US$3,000 and will be available on new cars or as an upgrade to current owners. Ludicrous Mode offers a 10pc improvement in acceleration, allowing the Model S to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. That little boost in power will set you back US$10,000.

Tesla is known for its irreverent touches, such as setting the maximum volume on the Model S’s radio as 11 in reference to This Is Spinal Tap. What little surprises the company has in store for its forthcoming Model X, we’ll soon find out. The long-awaited vehicle is expected to go on sale in Q3 of this year.

Dean Van Nguyen was a contributor to Silicon Republic

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