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Tesla's Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit Starts Selling Soon, It's an Invite-Only Affair for Now

Tesla will start selling the Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit for the Model S Plaid, one of the last pieces of the puzzle allowing the sporty sedan to reach its advertised top speed of 200 mph (322 kph). However, it appears the stock would be severely limited, as Tesla mentions in letters it sent to those who expressed interest in buying the kit.
Tesla's Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit starts selling soon 7 photos
Photo: Tesla | Edited
Tesla's Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit starts selling soonBrake package: Base shown in Tesla infotainment menuThe Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit on the Tesla Model S PlaidTesla Model S PlaidTesla Model S PlaidTesla Model S Plaid upgrades
Tesla has pioneered some of the most interesting sales models in the auto industry. It started with the direct sales model for its cars, which is now becoming the norm among EV makers. Then it moved to put certain hardware features behind a paywall. This means the car ships with all the hardware necessary to perform certain functions, although you must pay to unlock it. The FSD Beta and Enhanced Autopilot are the most obvious ones. This one, too, has been copied by legacy carmakers, sometimes with hilarious results.

Now, Tesla is trying something new with the Model S Plaid. The most powerful Tesla has an advertised top speed of 200 mph (322 kph), but it's currently limited to 175 mph (282 kph). Tesla says the maximum speed can be achieved "when equipped with paid hardware upgrades."

As far as we know, these upgrades involve purchasing the Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit, which costs $20,000, including installation costs via Tesla Service. There's a catch, though: the said kit was never available for sale.

Some might think it's only sane to lock the maximum speed for cars that don't have the necessary stopping abilities. But it's more than that, considering it's only a difference of 25 mph (40 kph). Moreover, Tesla Model Plaid owners can buy cheaper aftermarket ceramic brakes for better braking performance. However, that still doesn't unlock the maximum speed for their cars.

As shown recently, Tesla can do that because the brake parts can identify themselves in the car's computer. Vehicles without the Carbon Ceramic brakes now have a "Brake package: Base" listing in the Additional Vehicle Information screen. This indicates that Tesla is not selling a ceramic brake kit, it sells the ability to reach 200 mph. In fact, not even that. As it did with the Full Self-Driving Capability, Tesla sells the promise of the ability to reach that speed because the ceramic brakes are still not available to order on Tesla Shop.

This should change soon, though, at least for a limited number of Model S Plaid owners. Some have received a letter from Tesla urging them to confirm they want to buy the kit. The letter mentions that the equipment will be released in the coming months in limited quantities. We're unsure how many people have pushed the "Email me when this item is available to order" button, but it looks like Tesla will not be able to satisfy all of them.

People still wonder why somebody would buy the Tesla-branded Ceramic kit unless they want to unlock the maximum speed. There's one solid reason, though. To make the said kit a must-have, Tesla has recently downgraded the standard brakes of the Model S Plaid. They are now the same parts as on the dual-motor Model S, only with a red plastic cover to make the calipers look bigger.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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