Tesla unveils new, extremely fast car battery

By Barry Eitel

SAN FRANCISCO (AA) – Electric carmaker Tesla revealed Tuesday a new 100 kilowatt hour battery that makes its vehicles quicker than any other automobile in production anywhere in the world.

With the new battery, the company’s Model S P100D is the third-fastest accelerating car ever produced, zooming from 0 to 97 kilometers per hour (0 to 60 miles per hour) in 2.5 seconds. Only the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder are quicker, but both are out of production and cost more than a $1 million per vehicle.

The battery also adds significantly to the range of Model S, which will now travel 613 kilometers (380 miles) on a single charge. The vehicle now has the longest range of any electric car ever created by a wide margin.

The new battery pack will also be available for the Model X, Tesla’s sport utility vehicle, making it the quickest SUV available. Though the cars’ price point doesn’t approach the extreme expenses of the LeFerrari or 918 Spyder, they are still out of reach for the average car buyer. The new Model S will cost $134,500 and the new Model X will cost $135,500.

The high prices are part of the wider strategy of Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, the company believes. Eventually, the company hopes to produce electric cars for the general market.

While the Model S P100D “is obviously an expensive vehicle,” the company said in a statement Tuesday, “we want to emphasize that every sale helps pay for the smaller and much more affordable Tesla Model 3 that is in development. Without customers willing to buy the expensive Model S and X, we would be unable to fund the smaller, more affordable Model 3 development.”

Musk teased the battery’s release Tuesday morning on Twitter, hinting that Tesla would unveil a new product. The tweet caused Tesla stock to rise more than 2.5 percent during the day.