Tesla Model S Plaid

Launched in June 2021 by American automaker Tesla, Inc., the Tesla Model S Plaid established a milestone in commercial automotive history by becoming the first mass-production road vehicle to break the two-second zero-to-sixty threshold. Powered by three high-performance electric motors featuring carbon-sleeved rotors—one on the front axle and two at the rear—the Plaid produces 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. In instrumented testing by MotorTrend and Car and Driver on prepped surfaces with one-foot rollout, the full-size electric sedan accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 1.98 seconds. It traversed the quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds at a trap speed of 152.6 mph. The vehicle utilizes Tesla's Drag Strip Mode to precondition its lithium-ion battery chemistry and lower the adaptive air suspension into a Cheetah Stance stance. Featuring standard all-wheel drive, five-passenger seating, and full active safety suites, the Model S Plaid democratized hypercar-level straight-line performance. Ranks fourth with an independently verified 0-60 mph sprint of 1.98 seconds, pioneering sub-two-second acceleration in mass-produced automobiles. Featuring a tri-motor electric setup generating 1,020 horsepower, the Tesla Model S Plaid clocks 0-60 mph in 1.98 seconds and a 9.23-second quarter-mile. Key benchmarks: zero to sixty sec: 1.98 s; zero to hundred kmh sec: 2.06 s; quarter mile sec: 9.26 s.