Tesla owner Jason Hughes, who has above-average computer skills, claims the electric car maker is planning to launch a P100D model in the near future. There have been configuration options in the firmware since as early as about two months ago, Hughes told Teslarati.
A 100D in works
“With the latest 2.13.77 update, [Tesla] included the badges for the P100D, among other things. I’m very confident that it’s a real thing based on what I’ve seen of other things in previous versions of the firmware,” Hughes said.
On Friday, Hughes tweeted about his findings but disguised it in a Twitter code.
“@elonmusk @teslamotors #tesla I know your secret. SHA256 of best part: 5fc38436ec295b0049f186651ebba5fd55e8d7b81eb61cbd00d3f1bf18dd9c81,” Hughes tweeted.
The tweet was seen by other hackers, who then decoded it using a reverse Twitter search.
The D in Tesla’s car name indicates that the car has dual motors, one in front and the other in the rear. Except for Tesla’s entry-level Model S with the 70 kWh battery, the electric car maker no longer offers a rear wheel drive function. The Model S or Model X with a 100 kWh battery will probably be called the 100D.
Tesla Model S could get over 300 miles
Tesla just replaced the 85kWh battery it had been using since the first Model S came out in 2012 with a 90 kWh version. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if the EV firm is working on a new battery. Tesla could use a larger battery to convince customers to upgrade to the higher priced model, which is more lucrative.
With a 100 kWh battery, the Model S will get a range of 300 miles or more, and that’s quite an important milestone. Many manufactures claim to make cars with a 30-mile range, but with a 100kWh battery, Tesla would be the only electric car maker to actually do it and firm up its name as the world leader in EV technology.
Tesla has not yet confirmed if it is working on a 100kWh battery, and we even don’t know how much a larger battery would affect the price of the car. The cost difference is of $3,000 between the 85 kWh battery and the current 90 kWh battery, so we can expect something in the same proportion for the 100 kWh battery. The electric car maker might give more information now since the secret is out.
