By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla's Model S Plaid is the fastest car MotorTrend has ever tested
Edmunds
Tesla's Model S Plaid is the most impressive car on the road today. It's not just that it looks great, but it has some serious power underneath the hood... or frunk. Recently, MotorTrend tried the Tesla Model S and declared it the fastest car they have ever tested. That's saying something.
MotorTrend first appeared on magazine stands in 1949. With more than 70 years of experience driving thousands of cars, the Model S Plaid beat them all.
0-60 MPH in 2.3 Seconds
The Tesla Model S Plaid is a high-speed car, and the stats back it up. According to MotorTrend, the Model S accelerates from 0-60 MPH in an astonishing 2.3 seconds.
"When experiencing the acceleration of a Plaid, it's abundantly clear that virtually the only force you feel is the Tesla's seatback hurling you forward to a degree that genuinely makes the horizon the floor. Except that floor is rushing up at you far faster than any free fall ever could."
Earlier in the article, the author explains that a free fall speed equates to accelerating from 0-60 in 3 seconds.
The Tesla website says the Plaid can go faster than MotorTrend reported, with a 1.99 second 0-60 time. Its three mighty electric motors, two in the back, power the all-wheel drive system producing a ridiculous 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 ft-lb of torque. The top speed is pegged at 200 MPH; for comparison, the maximum speed in NASCAR last season was recorded at 190.7 MPH.
Tesla Model S Plaid Specs
| Spec | Value |
| Curb Weight: | 4,816 lbs |
| ¼ Mile Time: | 9.3 seconds at 152.2 mph |
| Motor Layout: | Tri-motor, one front, two rear |
| Maximum Horsepower: | 1,020 hp |
| Maximum Torque: | 1,050 lb-ft |
| Top Speed: | 200 MPH |
| Cost: | $119,990 |
Model S Plaid Does the Quarter Mile in 9.3 Seconds
The power curve on Tesla's Model S Plaid speaks for itself
Tesla
Tesla's Model S also laid down a blistering quarter-mile to earn the title of the fastest car MotorTrend has ever tested. The blue Plaid devoured the quarter mile time in 9.3 seconds. It should've been a red Model S because this car was burning the record books and lighting the track on fire.
It's not just the motors; the cutting-edge software and aerodynamic design also contribute to its superior acceleration.
60-0 MPH Braking in 104 Feet
In addition to its blistering quarter-mile time, the Model S is able to achieve 60-0 mph braking in just 104 feet, while providing a maximum lateral acceleration of 1.02 Gs. This makes it one of the quickest cars ever produced and gives it the performance capabilities that rival some of the world's top supercars.
In other tests, the Plaid had a record stopping time as low at 98 feet. The impressive stopping power of the Model S can be attributed to its combination of powerful brakes and low center of gravity. The regenerative braking system also helps reduce wear on the brakes and allows for maximum braking performance. In addition, the Model S also features an advanced stability control system that helps to keep the car stable and in control during hard braking maneuvers.
Top 10 Fastest Electric Cars
| Car | 0-60 MPH Time |
| 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid | 2.3 Seconds |
| 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S | 2.4 Seconds |
| 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance | 2.7 Seconds |
| 2022 Audi RS E-Tron GT | 2.9 Seconds |
| 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+ Sedan | 3.0 Seconds |
| 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 | 3.0 Seconds |
| 2022 Rivian R1T Launch Edition | 3.1 Seconds |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT | 3.2 Seconds |
| 2023 BMW iX M60 | 3.2 Seconds |
| 2022 Rivian R1S Launch Edition | 3.2 Seconds |
The Tesla Model S Plaid, which added track mode in 2021, has pushed the performance boundaries and set a new standard for high-performance electric vehicles. Its quarter-mile time of 9.3 seconds is remarkable, and its ability to reach 0-60 mph in just 2.3 seconds is extraordinary. Elon Musk wrapped it up best, responding to a tweet about MotorTrends results. He tweeted: Plaid is sickkk.
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By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App
Tesla has rolled out FSD V12.4.1 to its employees today. FSD V12.4.1 is expected to introduce significant improvements to FSD and a batch of new features. The deployment, version 2024.15.5, will soon be available to nearly all vehicles in the fleet, bringing together FSD and non-FSD branches and beginning the elimination of steering wheel nags.
Includes Spring Update Features
Tesla has introduced FSD V12.4.1 on branch 2024.15.5 – which means that vehicles on 2024.3.25, 2024.8.9, and 2024.14.11 and below will be eligible for the update! This is good news, as the majority of the tracked fleet will be eligible.
Users on 2024.3.25 and 2024.8.9 will also be receiving all the features from the Spring Update, including the updated UI and all the other features. This is going to be a major update.
Elon Musk has previously mentioned that FSD V12.4 will bring the fractured FSD and non-FSD branches together, and this looks like it will come true shortly.
Green Dot When Monitoring
With this update, FSD will primarily rely upon the camera driver monitoring system (DMS) to determine whether the driver is paying attention. Of course, this is the initial implementation and has a few limitations. While the cabin camera is monitoring the driver, Tesla will now display a green dot on the screen to let the driver know the camera is active. This is similar to how phones show a green dot when one of the cameras is on.
Driver Monitoring
The cabin camera cannot be occluded or obscured, and it must have continuous visibility of the driver’s eyes to eliminate the steering wheel nag. This means that there must be sufficient cabin illumination, the driver cannot be wearing sunglasses or a low-brim hat, and nothing is preventing the camera from seeing the driver’s eyes. Legacy vehicles without a camera are expected to remain with the steering wheel method of detecting attention.
At this point, regular eyeglasses should not impact the use of the improved DMS – but looking away for extended periods will trigger a warning. Continuous inattention will escalate warnings, and eventually lead to a strikeout.
With this update, drivers will not receive requests for steering wheel nags while the updated DMS is confident that they are paying attention and fulfilling all the conditions.
FSD V12.4.1 Improvements
Besides the elimination of the steering wheel nag, Tesla will be adding quite a few other features to FSD V12.4.1, including an updated Strikeout and Suspension system.
You can receive up to 5 strikeouts before being suspended for a week. Good driving behavior (without a strikeout) will result in a strikeout being removed, once per 7 days.
Musk also mentioned previously that Banish Autopark and Park Seek would be arriving with 12.4, but the release notes for this version don’t mention this. These don’t seem to have arrived just yet, but they could still be coming soon in a V12.4.X update.
Expected Release Date
Given Tesla’s rate of updates and the recent positive news on FSD V12.4.1 from both Elon Musk and testers, we could expect the first customers to start receiving V12.4.1 by this weekend or early next week.
By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App
Tesla provides a robust set of fleet-manager and user-level APIs for its vehicles, each with distinctly useful features. If you’ve ever wondered what other unique things your Tesla is capable of, here is some additional insight.
One of the coolest things we’ve seen are some updated APIs that expose additional data that could provide hints for Tesla’s 8/8 Robotaxi announcement. Read on to find out!
Vehicle Data
Tesla recently added a new property in the API that leverages the cabin camera to find out if there’s anyone inside the car. It doesn’t identify who or where they’re seated or give Tesla access to the camera, but it does let you know whether there’s anyone inside the camera.
The data in the API is usually to be leveraged by the Tesla app, but the detection Tesla is doing here could be used for things like automatically enabling cabin overheat protection if someone was left inside the car.
"is_user_present": true,
Guest Mode
Tesla has outlined a new Guest Mode in their API, potentially pointing to a Robotaxi tie-in. According to Tesla’s API documentation, Guest Mode restricts user functionality in the vehicle. Similar to Tesla’s Valet Mode, Guest Mode requires PIN to Drive or to open the Glovebox. It also limits the vehicle’s speed, prevents the addition or removal of keys and more. This is quite similar to the functionality that’s used by Hertz for its fleet-level management, but there have been some additional updates to this entire API. This Guest Mode endpoint is only accessible on vehicles on update 2024.14 – The Spring Update.
Rider Quality Score
Whole Mars Catalog recently shared a screenshot of a new API property called “Rider Quality Score” on X. The property appears to give the user a score, presumably from 0 to 5 (or 10) based on some characteristics, although Tesla may be simply testing the feature and the values don’t provide any real guidance yet.
“rider_quality_score”: 5
A quality score could be assigned to riders for ride-hailing and could be a part of Tesla’s upcoming August 8th Robotaxi announcement. This one was buried under the User API, which also provides a user’s name, email, and profile photo. You may be able to configure your future Robotaxi or current Tesla to only accept riders with a certain quality level – thereby enabling you to keep your car clean and fit for duty and reducing risks.
