Elon Musk is a bit of a maverick. It’s actually more difficult than you might think when it comes to finding a word to describe the Tesla chief - a man who brings his own effusive style to the fast-growing electric car market – a market in which his proud manufacturer towers above the competition. This trademark style was on show for all, as the much rumoured Model D finally ended months of gossip and made it's long awaited debut. Musk had kept many of his loyal band of followers in the dark – his twitter feed constantly peppered with questions about the potential Model D. But, at a typically ostentatious affair in the US last night the Model D, was released to the public in all it's high-tech glory.
The ‘D’ stands for dual-motor, an element which many have been clamouring for. And, while the ‘D’ – or p58d to give it’s full name – is set to be the most powerful yet, it’s release as been somewhat eclipsed by what Musk described as 'something else' in fairly cryptic fashion on social media. That ‘something else’ has turned out to be a tantalising new piece of kit dubbed ‘Autopilot’. The system is capable of being able to park itself, drive itself to where you’re waiting (mini-cab’s will be furious) as well as employing GPS and sonar, technically allowing the car to drive itself around, although Musk had to be a party-pooper in this respect; as safety regulations are NOT in place.
However, while he had to reign in some of the more excitable folk. Mr Musk didn’t sit there quietly, and could barely hide his excitement for the new model. ‘This car is nuts. It’s like taking off from a carrier deck. It’s just bananas’. The car will go from 0-62 in just 3.2 seconds, and also manages an incredible 682bhp and 932Nm of torque. Yes, Elon, that is pretty bananas.
The largest, and perhaps most prominent electric vehicle manufacturer will not be resting on their laurels . Their ultimate goal is to offer an affordable electric car tha will boast the ability to travel for many miles. No official timescale is set, for what could be a potential game-changer should it materialise.
If you settle for the regular Model S, however, that won’t hamper a quest for the ultimate electric car. Despite being a little less powerful, a full range of high-tech features (it wouldn’t be a Tesla without them) will feature in your car, and impeccable control and speeds will still be reachable.
