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Tesla Model S finally has its date with a dyno

The performance abilities - and even the burnout potential - of the Tesla Model S has already been well documented, but, surprisingly, we haven't yet seen the all-electric luxury hatchback strapped to a dyno. Fortunately, the crew over at Dragtimes has posted a video that finally gave us some real-world numbers for the family- and environmentally friendly Tesla.
As the article points out, the results might be off a little (on the low side) due to the run not starting from a dead stop, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Immediately upon throttle application, the dyno records almost 300 horsepower at zero miles per hour, and power peaks at 368 hp at around 55 mph (we imagine the "386HP" quoted on the video title is a typo) before trailing off to around 220 hp closer to the car's limited 130-mph top speed. This compares quite favorably to the power numbers provided by Tesla putting max output at 416 hp; the dyno provided no torque figures for the car. Dragtimes also believes this number bodes well for the car on the track, too, quoting a quarter-mile time of 12.2 seconds at 112 mph.
The video of the quiet, zero-emission dyno session is posted below, so check it out.

First Tesla Model S P85D owner says it's 'night and day' improvement

The first public owner of a Tesla Model S P85D says the model's autonomous-driving feature that more-or-less allows for the all-electric sedan drive itself hasn't been activated yet. We should all have such troubles. Southern California resident Kevin Babineau was indeed the first customer to take delivery of a Tesla Model S P85D, which features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. Babineau is a longtime car collector, with Humvees and a '69 Chevy Impala in his garage. He previously owned a Tesla Roadster, as well, according to an account he gives to Business Insider. Compared to a standard Tesla Model S and its already-impressive performance standards, the P85D is "night and day" different, Babineau said. The souped-up version is said to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a tidy 3.2 seconds. Babineau paid about $130,000 for the quickness privilege, but as you can read in the article, it sounds like it was money well spent. "The emotions that come out of that kind of speed, in that short a distance, your body's not used to it," he said. Tesla unveiled the P85D in October. As you can see in the video below, it can be fun. A P85D driver (no, it doesn't look like Babineau) goes up against Ferraris and Lamborghinis in drag races, and takes them all down. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Tesla expands Supercharger network in central Europe

While you can't drive a Tesla from the US to Europe, Model S drivers on both sides of the pond are seeing a robust Supercharger network. Today, Tesla announced that enough stations exist in central Europe to get a Model S from Amsterdam to cities 500 or 600 miles away in the Alps. As in the US, using a Supercharger is free. The eight Superchargers are located in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Austria trace a route along the German Autobahn (another six are in Norway) and Tesla says that by the end of March 2014, "50 percent of the German population will live within 320km [200 miles] of a Supercharger," with the rest covered by the start of 2015. The lowest-range Model S, the one with a 60-kWh battery pack, can go 230 miles on a charge, officially. Tesla says its Superchargers can add 170 miles of range in a 30-minute fill-up. You can see Tesla's future Supercharger plans here and find more details in the press release below. TESLA EXPANDS SUPERCHARGER NETWORK IN EUROPE Newly energized routes enable free, convenient long distance travel across DACH region and the Netherlands Tuesday, January 21, 2014 AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – This week, Tesla officially opens new Supercharger locations connecting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. These newly-energized routes will enable Model S customers to enjoy free, convenient, 100 percent electric trips on the German Autobahn and to destinations in the Alps and elsewhere. Tesla's first six Superchargers were energized in California in September 2012, with the first network of European Supercharger stations opening in Norway less than a year later. As of today, 81 Supercharger locations are energized worldwide, with 14 locations in Europe. More than 11 million kilometers have been charged by Tesla Superchargers and nearly 1.13 million liters of gas have been offset. The accelerated energizing of Superchargers in Germany (Wilnsdorf, Bad Rappenau, Aichstetten and Jettingen), Switzerland (Lully), Austria (St. Anton) and the Netherlands (Zevenaar and Oosterhout) represents a new milestone in the expansion of the European network. In Germany, Superchargers connect Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. They also connect the German network to Amsterdam, Zurich, and Innsbruck. In the Netherlands, energized routes connect Amsterdam to Cologne and Brussels, and in Switzerland the stations connect Zurich and Geneva.