Tesla CEO Elon Musk quite confidently boasted during the unveiling of Model 3 in March that his company does not make slow cars. Following these comments up over the weekend, Musk confirmed when responding to a question on Twitter that the Model 3 will come with “Ludicrous” mode.
Tesla CEO true to his words
The entry-level Model 3 will be able to go from 0 to 60 in seconds, said Musk during the unveiling of Model 3. Rumors claim that with Ludicrous mode, the Model 3 will be able to go from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds.
Over the weekend, Twitter user Vignesh Raju tweeted, “Ludicrous mode is the best thing ever. Will the Model 3 have it too? Please say yes!”
To this, Musk replied, “Of course.”
Musk has been true to his word about not making slow cars, and over the past few years, the electric car maker has demonstrated its obsession with speed. It first released Insane Mode, a feature that enabled a dual-motor Model S P85D to go from 0 to 60 in just 3.2 seconds. As if this wasn’t enough, last year, it announced Ludicrous Mode, enabling a top-of-the-line Model S to go from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds.
Tesla’s Model X is no less in the speed department either. In Ludicrous mode, the Model X can go from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 seconds. YouTube is filled with videos showing a Model X easily keeping up with cars like the Ferrari F430 in a drag race.
What’s the secret behind the speed?
Ludicrous mode was enabled first on the Model S P85D. The option let the motors draw more current from the battery – 1500 amps versus 1300–1500 amps, which is equivalent to adding an extra cylinder to a gasoline engine.
The secret behind the speed is a new kind of fuse developed by the Tesla engineers that can monitor current draw. Electrical connections can get overheated by high-current flow. The new fuse can decrease the amount of current if it detects overheating and monitors temperatures 1,000 times a second.
Also Tesla is planning to roll out some more “cowbell” features to the Model S and Model X soon, confirmed Musk on the micro-blogging site. The automaker most recently issued a software update with a quite awesome Mark Kart-themed Easter egg that transformed the road on the digital dash into a psychedelic rainbow.
On Friday, Tesla shares closed down 2.81% at $240.76. Year to date, the stock is up by over 1%, while in the last year, it is up by almost 7%.
