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Watch Out: Tesla Model 3 Will Have Ludicrous Mode
The Model 3 could be the quickest Tesla ever
There could be a new king of the hill when it comes to being the quickest accelerating car in Tesla’s vehicle lineup if the latest tweet by Elon Musk holds true. When asked by @vigneshraju of Twitter on whether the Model 3 will have Ludicrous mode, Musk replied with a simple “of course”.
The remark has left many reservation owners across Twitter and forum groups to speculate on the type of battery, price, and performance improvement Ludicrous mode will bring to Tesla’s entry-level vehicle.
@vigneshraju of course
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2016
Ludicrous mode was first introduced as an optional hardware upgrade to the Model S P85D: an upgrade that would allow the battery to draw more current, from 1300 to 1500 amps, and allow the electric motors to temporarily produce more power. The end result is unrivaled acceleration capable of catapulting the Model S from 0 – 60 mph in a blistering 2.6 seconds and down the 1/4 mile at 10.9 seconds, according to tests conducted by Motor Trend.
What will this mean in terms of performance when Ludicrous mode is enabled on a presumably much lighter Model 3 with smaller battery pack? And more importantly, how will this upgrade impact the overall cost of the vehicle?
Price of Tesla Model 3 with Ludicrous Mode
Make no mistake that 400k reservations of the Model 3 is largely due to the fact that it has a low cost of entry. At $35k you’re buying proven electric vehicle technology, low cost of ownership (cost per mile), and brand prestige.
We know the base Model 3 will come standard in a rear wheel drive configuration, but add in dual motors – required in Tesla’s top of the line Performance models – electronically controlled air suspension (also required), and the optional rip-your-head-off Ludicrous mode upgrade, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to double the cost of the vehicle. After all the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade on the Model S and X alone costs $10k, and that’s on top of the additional price paid to upgrade to the flagship Performance variation.
All said and done, a fully loaded Model 3 could reach $70k and surpass the base price of the Model S. But that won’t stop 15% of Model 3 buyers from going Insane to Ludicrous.
Tesla Model 3 Ludicrous Mode Performance
We know Ludicrous Teslas are quick. We recently saw the 6,000 pound Model X SUV destroy a Ferrari in a test of acceleration, and we’ve even witnessed a Ludicrous-enabled P90D Model S sedan take on a Boeing 737 jet. But will Tesla allow its entry-level vehicle surpass the performance of an equally-equipped Model S or Model X? The answer is likely no.
Accelerating quickly requires power derived from the battery. Current and voltage affects the amount of power the inverter delivers to the electric motors. But because the Model 3 will likely have a smaller battery, in order to keep costs down, the voltage produced from a smaller battery pack is lower than that of a larger pack, resulting in less power.
The Model S 70D is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Assuming the Performance version of the Model 3 will have a tuned version of the 70D battery with higher voltage, combined with a lower overall vehicle curb weight than the Model S, it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw low 3 second 0-60 mph times. It’s still quicker than Elon’s favorite performance benchmark the McLaren F1, while leaving bragging rights to its older and more expensive siblings.
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Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.
Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
