Tesla on Tuesday unveiled speedy new model electric cars capable of travelling more than 482 kilometres before needing to be recharged.
A Model S P100D with “Ludicrous mode” was billed by Tesla founder Elon Musk as the third-fastest accelerating production car ever made, capable of going from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in about 2.5 seconds.
That is slower only than the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder two-seaters, according to Tesla.
In contrast, the Model S P100D sedan has four doors and seating for five adults, two children and some cargo.
A 100 kilowatt battery increases the range to an estimated 613 kilometres, making it the first electric production vehicle to break the 480-kilometre barrier, according to Tesla.
The new Model S had a starting price of $135,000 (about Dh495,734).
“While the P100D Ludicrous is obviously an expensive vehicle, we want to emphasise that every sale helps pay for the smaller and much more affordable Tesla Model 3 that is in development,” the car maker said in a blog post.
The larger battery pack is also available on the Tesla Model X, making the world’s fastest SUV even quicker and giving it a range of up to 465 kilometres on a charge.
Early this month, Tesla Motors reported a larger second-quarter loss than expected as it worked to speed production in the face of strong demand for its electric cars.
Tesla reported a net loss of $293.2 million, or $2.09 per share, in the quarter ended on June 30, up from a $184.2 million loss in the same period a year earlier.
Revenue at the California-based company climbed to $1.27 billion in the second quarter from $955 million a year ago.
Tesla is touting the new models as it faces a wave of bad publicity about self-driving capabilities in its electric vehicles.
A fatal accident in the United States and other less serious incidents in China prompted concerns about the safety of autonomous driving systems, but Tesla remained devoted to improving the technology.
