Tesla launches 2023 Model S Plaid but cancels Plaid+

Tesla has started US customer deliveries of its headline market introduction for 2021, the Model S Plaid, with a 1006bhp tri-motor powertrain good for 0-60mph in 1.99sec and a claimed range of 390 miles.

But the even more potent Plaid+, which was meant to up power to 1100bhp and range to 520 miles, courtesy of a 140kWh battery, has been cancelled, despite generating significant worldwide interest at its unveiling and being available for pre-order on Tesla’s website earlier this year. “Plaid+ is cancelled. No need, as Plaid is so good,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter, going on to describe the standard Plaid as the “quickest production car ever made of any kind”. It is not yet clear how many pre-orders the firm had taken for the Plaid+. The Model X SUV is also to receive a Plaid variant as part of the two models’ mid-life facelift, although customer deliveries aren’t expected until 2022.

Model S Plaid is claimed to dispatch 0-60mph in just 1.99sec