Originally published on CleanTechnica.
As he tends to do, Elon Musk went on a Twitter rampage, responding to questions from the Twittersphere. In doing so, and as he’s also in the habit of doing, he shed light on some rather interesting details about the Model S and X battery size, Model 3 battery size as limited by the physical footprint of the vehicle, and a few tips on stripping down a Tesla for maximum performance. #ElonTweets
Let’s jump in!
Tesla Model S & X Not Going Larger than 100 kWh
In response to a Twitterer asking about battery upgradability from a P100D to a P110D — because apparently some people just have to have the latest and greatest all the time — Elon shared that Tesla had no plans to go any bigger than a 100 kWh pack for the Model S or the X.
The current size is a nice round number and hits the 300 mile range milestone as well, so it’s a healthy stopping point. Having said that, this will likely change in the future as battery prices and weight continues to drop as densities improve. Until then, it’s a noteworthy update that the upgrade frenzy won’t continue unabated…at least for the time being.
No plans to take X, S (or 3) above 100 kWh. Semi necessarily and pickup truck maybe will go above.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017
Model 3 Can’t Fit a 100 kWh Pack
Another Twitterer asked if Elon just shed light on the pack size of the Model 3 having a 100 kWh option and Elon jumped back in with another response. He clarified that the Model 3 physically couldn’t fit a 100 kWh pack so the max size would have to be lower than that.
No details about what that max would be, or even what the base pack size would be for that matter. My guess is that the base pack size will get the 3 just a few more miles than the Chevy Bolt at 238 miles per charge because that’s just how these two companies seem to roll.
No, will be lower. Wheelbase can't fit 100.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017
#ElonTweets Tips on Fastest 0-60
Faraday Future tried to one-up Tesla with the FF91 hitting a 0-60 time of 2.39 seconds, which is just a hair faster than the 2.4 seconds for the production version of the Tesla Model S P100D. Since that time, Tesla and Elon have been tweeting out stories and stats of different cars hitting faster and faster 0-60 times.
This time, Elon is giving advice on how to lighten up the Model S by taking out interior comfort items, even going so far as to recommend owners have official Tesla Service Centers remove the liner of the frunk area for owners. I personally can’t imagine anyone other than maybe Unplugged Performance removing parts of a Model S or X, and even then, they would replace it with some high polish carbon fiber.
Also, Tesla service can remove front trunk liner if you don't use it and improve performance further
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017
Still Faster than a Porsche 918
Along those same lines, Elon went on to defend the Model S against the Porsche 918 when a Twitterer claimed it could go from 0-60 in just 2.2 seconds. He shared that Motor Trend, which is apparently *the* benchmark for 0-60 times, went 0-60 in 2.4 seconds, leaving the Model S as the fastest.
Motor Trend could only achieve 2.4 sec when they tested the Porsche 918
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2017
Altitude Improves Performance of Electric Vehicles
Elon also shared a fact about how Teslas perform at high altitudes that was insightful and interesting. Specifically, he shared that the performance of electric vehicles actually improves at high altitudes.
This stands in stark contrast to gasmobiles which literally suffocate at higher altitudes as the concentration of the oxygen required for efficient combustion is less available. Chock this one up as the #FunFactoftheDay and another win for EVs.
yes, altitude improves performance for electric. Opposite of combustion cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017
Reprinted with permission.