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What Is the Fastest Tesla in 2023

Most electric vehicles on sale right now have insane amounts of power on tap, which makes them dangerously fast. Tesla is no exception. On the contrary, it produces the most powerful and fastest series-production electric vehicles on the road. But what is the fastest Tesla car you can buy today?
Tesla Model S Plaid is the fastest Tesla 6 photos
Photo: Autoevolution
Tesla Model S PlaidTesla Roadster IITesla Model XTesla Model YTesla Model 3
If there’s one EV characteristic that stands out among all the cars, it is their powerful electric motors. This is somehow bizarre, considering their declared purpose is to save energy and be as efficient as possible. Why this is the case is rather simple: early electric vehicles were perceived as cute little toys and “not real cars,” so they tried to impress in the one metric that mattered to those who dismissed them.

Although electric vehicles are almost as old as the automobile itself, they did not catch people’s imagination until Li-Ion batteries allowed a leap in performance. GM might’ve had the EV1 powered by Ni-Mh batteries in 1996, but it was Tesla that wowed in 2008 with the Roadster. The first-generation Tesla Roadster is still impressive by modern standards, with 248-288 horsepower and an EPA range of 244 miles (393 km). It was no slouch, either, with a 0-60 time in 3.9 seconds, so the legend of fast electric cars was born.

Following EVs entering the market shortly after the Roadster, like the Nissan Leaf, were nowhere near as powerful. Nevertheless, Tesla wouldn’t want to go backward, and its first volume EV, the Tesla Model S, started as the 60D with 380 horsepower for the dual-motor configuration. Being almost twice as heavy as the Roadster, it was inherently slower, with a top speed of 120 mph (193 kph) and a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds. It all went uphill from here, and the most powerful Tesla today has more than 1,000 horsepower.

What is the fastest Tesla available to buy right now?

All Tesla models available to buy right now are plenty powerful and seriously fast. Even the Model 3 RWD has a 279-horsepower electric motor and can do 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 5.8 seconds. Nevertheless, if you’re after the fastest of the pack, you should look for the Performance trims of the Model 3 and Model Y or the Plaid versions of the Model S and Model X. These are the most powerful cars in Tesla’s stable and, correspondingly, the fastest out there.

Tesla Model Y
Photo: Tesla
Naturally, the sedans are faster than the crossovers because they are more aerodynamically shaped and lighter. That’s why the Model 3 Performance is almost as fast as the Model X Plaid, despite being far less powerful. The Model 3 Performance has 527 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, with the top speed at 162 mph (245 kph). The Model X Plaid has almost twice the power at 1,020 horsepower and goes from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, with the maximum speed at 163 mph (262 kph).

Nevertheless, the absolute fastest of them all is the Tesla Model S Plaid. The same tri-motor setup with 1,020 horsepower propels it from 0 to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds (with rollout subtracted). The maximum speed is rated at 200 mph (322 kph), making it the fastest Tesla in series production right now. There’s a fine print, though, as Tesla specifies that this top speed can be achieved “when equipped with paid hardware upgrades.” Without them, the maximum speed is 175 mph (282 kph). We’ve put the fastest Tesla models in the table below, ranked based on their top speed.

Model Power (hp) Top Speed
(mph / kph)
Acceleration
0-60 mph
(0-97 kph)
Tesla Model S Plaid 1,020 200 / 322 1.99 s
Tesla Model X Plaid 1,020 163 / 262 2.5 s
Tesla Model 3 Performance 527 162 / 261 3.1 s
Tesla Model Y Performance 527 155 / 249 3.5 s
Tesla Model X 676 155 / 249 3.8 s
Tesla Model S 676 155 / 249 3.1 s
Tesla Model 3 AWD 491 145 / 233 4.2 s
Tesla Model 3 RWD 279 140 / 225 5.8 s
Tesla Model Y AWD 507 135 / 217 3.8 s

What you need to know about the Tesla Model S Plaid

Although the latest iteration of the Tesla Model S could be dismissed as a mild update over the original, it’s nothing but. The design doesn’t look much different, but the Model S launched in 2021 is a brand-new car throughout. The drivetrain has been improved, and the three-motor configuration now uses high-performance carbon-sleeved rotors. The battery features a new architecture and improved thermals, which enables back-to-back track runs without performance degradation.

Tesla Model S Plaid
Photo: Tesla
Despite all these improvements, the Model S Plaid was better known for its controversial yoke steering. This and the all-new infotainment platform powered by an AMD Ryzen processor transform the entire user experience. The new model also introduces more automation in the cockpit, and the Model S Plaid can determine by itself whether you wish to drive forward or backward.

The most impressive feature of the Tesla Model S Plaid is that you can still use it as a daily driver. Despite all the raw power and performance upgrades, the fastest Tesla remains a very comfortable family sedan. It can go as far as 396 miles (637 km) on a charge, which is ideal for longer trips and offers hypercar-level performance on the track.

Why are Tesla cars so fast?

Electric vehicles don’t need such insane power levels to make an impression on the road. Electric motors work very differently from combustion engines. The latter deliver their maximum power at high rotation speeds, often above 5,000 rpm, but their speed is limited to around 6,500 rpm unless it’s a performance engine. Moreover, ICEs deliver their peak torque over a very limited rpm range, which differs from the maximum power rpm. Adding a turbine improves the torque curve tremendously, making the peak torque available over a larger rpm bracket.

As you can see, there are limitations to what a combustion engine can do, and much of its power goes to waste in real-life situations. On the other hand, electric motors have their peak torque and peak power available from 0 rpm to the maximum speed. Electric motors can also rotate much faster because they don’t have pistons with linear movement. That’s why electric vehicles can speed from a standstill faster than cars with combustion engines.

Tesla Roadster II
Photo: Tesla
Why the insane amounts of power on an electric vehicle, then? Well, there’s a good reason why having very powerful electric motors pays off. It’s called regenerative braking. Less powerful Tesla Model S cars can pump up to 85 kW back into the battery during the regen phase. The Tesla Model S Plaid maxes out at around 200 kW – this is as powerful as charging at a Supercharger. There is no official word on this power, as Tesla removed the regenerative braking power from its website. Nevertheless, Tesla Model S Plaid owners using third-party apps reported up to 195 kW in certain situations.

What could be the fastest Tesla in the future?

The Tesla Model S Plaid may be the fastest Tesla today, but the EV maker has several products in its pipeline, as revealed by Elon Musk during the Q4 earnings call. The EV maker is working hard to enter the Cybertruck into production, although we don’t expect it to become the fastest Tesla. This title could go to Tesla’s upcoming mass-market car, which is expected to be introduced in March during Tesla Investor Day. Nevertheless, this is not the only product Tesla is working on. At the end of the conference, Musk boasted about a mind-blowing vehicle roadmap.

“We have other products in development,” said Musk. “We’re not going to announce them, obviously, but they’re very exciting. And I think it will blow people’s minds when they -- when we reveal them. Tesla has the most exciting product roadmap of any company on earth by a long shot.”

We already know one Tesla model that is long overdue, just like the Cybertruck: the second-generation Roadster. The Roadster is advertised on Tesla’s website as having a top speed of 250 mph (402 kph) and a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds. Nevertheless, since those specs were first revealed, the world has moved on. Tesla Model S Plaid is almost there performance-wise, so the Roadster needs to push harder.
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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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