Elon Musk Confirms Higher Capacity Battery Packs for the Tesla Model S/X Plaid Variants

author: Manish Kharinta   

A Tesla Model S "Plaid" chassis prototype testing on Germany's famed Nürburgring course in September.

Tesla Inc. CEO and sometimes Twitter celebrity Elon Musk recently broke the social media website's "EV-sphere" when he announced that the electric car manufacturer plans on using higher capacity battery packs for the more powerful Tesla Model S and Model X "Plaid" variants.

The announcement came as a reply on Twitter, when Musk was asked whether he intends on using higher capacity battery packs in the future. The Tesla CEO confirmed the same, but refrained from divulging any further details about the high capacity battery packs used in the "Plaid" Model S and Model X versions. 

As of now, the most powerful battery pack offered by Tesla is the 100 kWh unit offered in the Tesla Model S and X P100D variants.

The Plaid version of Tesla Model S has been spotted on multiple occasions making high speed runs. The additional torque boost offered in the Plaid powertrain of Tesla vehicles was expected to eventually join the company's lineup sooner or later, which is why Tesla aficionados saw this coming well in advance.

As with all-electric powertrains, automakers more often than not, have to increase the capacity of the battery packs to generate more power at the wheels. This not only allows the battery pack to churn out more power, but also allows it to do so for longer intervals and preventing the batteries from quickly discharging.

The 100 kWh battery was introduced by the electric car company earlier in April this year and offers an EPA estimated extended range of 370 miles and 325 miles in the Tesla Model S and Model X long-range variants, respectively.

The battery pack was introduced alongside a brand-new adaptive suspension system for both cars which also contributed towards enhanced acceleration time and improved ride comfort. Tesla also introduced a "Ludicrous Mode" upgrade for some of the company's loyal customers.

The current battery pack allows customers to fast-charge their Tesla Model S and Model X long-range variants achieving 200 kW charging speeds on Tesla's V3 Superchargers and 145 kW on V2 Superchargers. We expect that the higher capacity battery packs will offer a 20 kWh improvement over the current units.

Musk has confirmed that customers will be able to purchase the Plaid versions of Tesla Model S and Model X soon, with both EVs scheduled to enter production sometime next year. 

The Plaid Tesla Model S is expected to enter production either in Oct or Nov 2020 and the production of the Model X Plaid version will follow soon afterward.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.