Tesla breaks 300 mile single charge barrier with new 100kw battery on S and X models

EV manufacturer Tesla has made its Model S and Model X electric cars available with a new 100D variant equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack.

Tesla says this provides 11-14 per cent more range than the non-performance 90D. Model S 100D vehicles will get an increase in range from 294 miles to 335 miles, while the Model X 100D will also get an increase of nearly 40 miles, giving the electric SUV a range just shy of 300 miles.

Though the increase in range on the 100D is minimal when compared to the company’s performance-based P100D with 100 kWh battery pack, the price difference is substantial. The Model S P100D starts at a base price of $137,800 USD and bundles in the Smart Air Suspension feature while the non-performance 100D is priced at $95,800 USD (without the Smart Air Suspension).

A Model X P100D costs $37,000 less than the P100D version and offers 6 more miles of range.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously stated that the US based company “will probably stop” at a 100 kWh battery pack, although it has recently announced that it has started mass production of the its latest ‘2170’ lithium-ion battery cells at the Gigafactory in Nevada, US.

The 2170 offers a significant increase in energy density by comparison to battery cell volume, with production set to start in the second quarter. The 2170 battery cells are expected to appear in the Model S and Model X at some point in the future.