Tesla has quietly added the option to purchase a Ludicrous Mode upgrade for a Model S P90D on their website, which previously was not available to buyers after they’ve taken delivery of their car.
Of course, new customers, just like before (in Australia or elsewhere), could spec their new Model S P90D with the stupid-fast Ludicrous Mode which makes it possible for the electric saloon to accelerate to 100km/h from standstill in an unbelievable time of 3 seconds.
But if you didn’t see the draw of that added power and spine-pummeling speed as you were placing your order, your P90D would come with the already very quick Insane Mode, and you would have no options to run with if you decided to acquire that capability (Ludicrous Mode) later on.
In North America at least, owners of the P90D now have the ability to retrofit in the Ludicrous Mode at their nearest Tesla Service Centre for the modest price of USD10,000 (not including labour costs), as published on their website.
There’s no solid word yet about when the upgrade will be offered to Australian Model S P90D owners, but there shouldn’t be much in the way to prevent this from happening before long.
Far from being just a software update to just tell the Model S to go faster, the upgrade includes a new battery pack contactor that’s made with a superalloy called Iconel to deal with higher operating temperatures, there’s also the fitment of an “advanced smart fuse” that can more accurately control the flow of electrical current. All of this allows the battery to run at 1500Amps over the 1300Amps under normal conditions.
The higher power flow is what makes the car’s higher power and torque outputs, resulting in even faster acceleration times, possible, much like an afterburners on a jet fighter.
Previously, those who ordered the P85D (the before Tesla bumped the battery capacity of their top end Model S to 90kWh, hence the name) just before the P90D made its debut, were offered to have the Ludicrous Mode retrofitted onto the cars, but since then the retrofit hasn’t been available.
