Tesla Model S becomes cheapest Tesla ever

BUYING A brand-new Tesla is now cheaper than ever, with the electric vehicle manufacturer announcing a brand-new-for-2016 Model S 60 and Model S 60D.

Starting at $100,800 plus on-roads, the new models aren’t exactly affordable, but for those that just can’t scrounge up the change for a $128,578 Model S 75, it could make all the difference in getting them into a Tesla this year.

Available for purchase today, the 60 and 60D have an expected Australian delivery time of October, while all other current Tesla Models purchased currently are slated to arrive in September.

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Tesla Australia spokesperson Heath Walker says the 60 and 60D gives consumers an attractive chance to own a Tesla Model S for a smaller outlay, without having to give up too much in terms of performance.

“The nice thing about the new 60 battery pack is there is no real compromise from a speed point of view. It still does the same 0-100km/h time as the 75,” he told Which Car.

“If you were to go from a 60 to a 60D, the main thing that they will see is traction. They will see slightly more range – think it is an eight kilometre range increase and a slight speed increase. It is 0.3 quicker from 0-100km/h.

“But I think the main thing is just the handling element with the four wheel drive, and the ability for torque vectoring at a fraction of a millisecond.

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“If they go up [again] to a 75, the main difference will be range. [Buyers] are essentially looking at 20 percent range increase from one to the other.

“The biggest thing then jumping to a 90 is either performance, or range, depending on which option you go with. The P90 is now built and designed for range, and the battery pack’s capacity is delivered to the vehicle for the purpose of range.

“Whereas the P90D is now built with a larger rear motor, a performance motor at the rear, and allows for the battery capacity to be pushed to that motor for performance purposes, which obviously lowers the range in comparison to the 90, but provides a pretty compelling acceleration off the line.”

New owners of the 60 and 60D will be able to upgrade to the 75 at a later date if they wish to unlock the full capabilities of the 75kWh battery pack.