Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the superpowered Model D on Thursday to much anticipation since his recent cryptic and somewhat sophomoric tweet, “About time to unveil the D and something else.”
Musk announced that the D stands for “dual motors,” and is a special version of Tesla’s Model S sedan. Basically, the model D will have two motors – one that powers the front wheels and one that powers the rear wheels. This makes the Tesla D an all-wheel drive, while the Model S was only available in rear–wheel drive.
“This car is nuts. It’s like taking off from a carrier deck. It’s just bananas,” Musk declared.
He added that unlike gas-powered all-wheel drives, which have a tendency to be heavy and less proficient – the Model D optimizes which motor to use and therefore improves speed, acceleration, and mileage. This electric wonder car also has the ability to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and reach the speeds of 155 mph (250kmh), which puts it in the league of one of the fastest sedan vehicles out there. In fact, it has been declared that it’s far superior than the technically impressive Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.
Another exciting feature of the Model D is that it also has the ability to drive itself. Well, not completely. The car’s autopilot feature uses a forward-mounted radar, cameras, and a system of twelve sensors which allows it the ability to “see” a range of 16 feet. This system is connected to the brakes, steering, and GPS.
Musk also stated that the Tesla Model D has the awesome capability of sensing small children or dogs, even at high speed – and it’s also able to detect and avoid pedestrians and evade collision. Additionally, the car has the ability to “read” speed limit signs and adjust accordingly.
Even parking the Tesla Model D is remarkable, as it offers an autopark feature – and if you get out of your car at your house, it will automatically pull in and basically do everything.
The Tesla Model D will be going on sale in December, with the most expensive model priced at just over $120,000. More affordable models will be following in February of next year, with prices starting at $75,070. A bit on the pricey side, but hey, if you can afford a super car, why not take advantage of this impressive piece of technology?
