We’ve seen a Tesla race a Ferrari, a Boeing 737, a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, and even witnessed a Tesla Model X simultaneously stomping an Alfa Romeo 4C on a drag strip while towing another 4C. Now, a Model S claimed a new course record for a production electric vehicle at this year’s Pikes Peak hillclimb.
Initially, according to a report from Electrek, the competing Tesla was believed to hold a significantly smaller battery pack for the run, far removing it from the production class. In an interview with AutoEvolution, driver and owner Blake Fuller confirmed there were more unnamed upgrades than meets the eye. Aside from stripping the interior of seats, carpets, sound deadening, and amenities, Fuller claims the P90D used to reach the summit in a record-setting 11 minutes, 28 seconds packed “more efficiency.”
#GOPUCK #Tesla #ModelS sets a new record for a production #electric #vehicle at #PikesPeak Hill Climb. https://t.co/SG7NtbztOc
— ROBRADY design (@ROBRADYdesign) June 27, 2016
In effect, this likely indicates the stock Model S software was reprogrammed to return more power, at the expense of range and reliability.
Regardless, this is an impressive feat. The Model S beat the existing record by just over a minute, a title previously held by a Zero Electric motorcycle. Fuller and the electric supersedan finished 65th overall.
While this might be impressive for a production vehicle, Pikes Peak is no stranger to electric propulsion. Unhindered by the ill-effects of the lofty altitude, electric race cars make up a large portion of the hillclimb roster, including a seriously-cool Acura NSX EV Concept that took second place in the Electric Modified class.
The post Tesla Model S P90D Claims Production EV Record at Pikes Peak appeared first on Motor Trend.
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