Tesla unveiled the refreshed designs for Model S and Model X in January this year, and the public had mixed reactions. The changes included renaming the Performance variant as Plaid, and adding a high-performance (yes, higher than Plaid) known as Plaid+. The interior got a rather clean look to it, with a horizontal touchscreen in the middle instead of the portrait shape from earlier. Tesla also added a new screen for the rear seats in the center console. The yoke steering had many negative reactions.
However, the new powertrain attracted many customers. Tesla added a third motor to the powertrain and the new tri-motor configuration can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in less than 2 seconds. The only problem was the constant delays in deliveries, which is quite common for Tesla.
Now, Elon Musk has made an official statement through his Twitter account that Tesla Model S Plaid deliveries will start on 3rd June. He also mentioned that it will be the fastest production car ever.
Tesla Model S Plaid delivery event
June 3 at our California factoryFastest production car ever
0 to 60mph in under 2 secs— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2021
Model S Plaid Delivery Timeline
Tesla revealed the Model S Plaid first in January and being Tesla, the company promised deliveries as early as February. In February, on an episode of the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience“, Musk said that shipping will begin by end of February. However, the Q1 production and delivery report mentioned that they hadn’t produced a single Model S or X during the first three months.
Many customers said that their estimated delivery date was initially in March. Suddenly, without any warnings, Tesla extended the deadline. They told the customers to expect delivery by end of July. Now, with Musk announcing the special delivery event on 3rd June, one can expect deliveries to begin soon.
According to sources, the reason for the delay in deliveries is because of the new battery pack. Musk had mentioned earlier that Tesla wanted to ensure the new batteries are safe. Furthermore, the company is also facing a shortage of chips, as the pandemic has hit the semiconductor industry.
“Tesla is Lucky to Have Such Exceedingly Patient Customers”
Many of the current owners of Tesla vehicles have mentioned that Tesla is lucky to have ‘exceedingly patient’ customers. Imagine that you buy a car in January hoping to get it by February/March, and then it gets extended to July. That is definitely going to frustrate customers. It will definitely not be easy, with possible Model S rivals getting ready to manufacture their vehicles as well.
However, it is the impressive specs of the Model S Plaid version which has kept people hooked on. A 1.99-second acceleration timing thanks to the tri-motor configuration giving out close to 1020 horsepower is quite insane. Add to that a top speed of 200 mph (322 kph) and a range of 390 miles (628 km) makes it all the more desirable.
Elon Musk himself mentioned in a reply to his tweet that the Plaid version is quite close to the theoretical maximum of a roadworthy car without any special devices, such as rocket thrusters.
Oh sorry, yes, Roadster will have thrusters, not Plaid. Plaid is indeed close to the theoretical maximum of a roadworthy car without special devices.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2021
Our Opinion
The Plaid powertrain has a lot of potential to redefine high-performance electric vehicles. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about electric supercars, with Lamborghini announcing its intentions to bring an all-electric supercar to the market, although that will be in the second half of the decade. Tesla has promised a Plaid powertrain for the revamped Roadster as well. When that will arrive is not known yet. Model X also has a Plaid powertrain. Tesla will probably start deliveries for the Plaid SUV early next year, although there are no confirmations yet.
