01
How to start it
Step on the brake, press the engine start button on the console or steering column; wait for the cluster to confirm ready before shifting out of P.
Model S Plaid
CuratedCurated
1,020 hp, AWD, and Tri-Motor Electric define the Tesla Model S Plaid. It is listed at 4,766 lb and about $90K. The catalog lists 0–60 mph in 1.99 seconds and a 200 mph top speed.
Research links
Trims
Choose a trim · 1 available
Tap a trim to open its full page — specs, features, build configurator and a maintenance schedule tailored to that trim.
Features
What this car offers
Safety & driver assistance
- Autopilot
- 8 cameras
- Side curtain airbags
- Active emergency braking
- Lane keep
Performance hardware
- Performance brake package
- Launch control
- Adaptive / magnetorheological dampers
- Torque-vectoring AWD
- Multiple drive modes (Comfort / Sport / Track)
Cabin & technology
- Digital instrument cluster
- Sport upholstery
- Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- Over-the-air software updates
- Premium audio system
- Heated and cooled seats
Safety rating
5/ 5
Value score
9.4/ 10
Performance, build, and ownership-cost composite.
Overview
About the Tesla Model S Plaid
The Model S Plaid is the car that made a family saloon a drag-strip problem. Tesla's tri-motor layout puts one motor on the front axle and two on the rear, each driving one wheel independently, with carbon-sleeved rotors that let them spin to 20,000 rpm without flying apart. Total output is around 1,020 hp, and the widely quoted 1.99-second 0–60 mph time depends on a prepped surface and rollout — but the everyday reality is a five-seat hatchback that will out-accelerate almost anything else on the road at any legal speed.
Underneath, the 2021 refresh reworked the pack structure and cooling so the car could deliver repeat launches instead of one heroic run followed by a thermal apology. Recuperation is aggressive enough that one-pedal driving becomes the default within a day.
Inside, Tesla went minimal to a fault: a landscape centre screen, a second screen for rear passengers, no gear selector at all in later cars — the software guesses drive or reverse from context, with a touchscreen override — and, at launch, a yoke instead of a wheel. A round wheel is now available again, which tells you how that experiment went.
Its market position is the point. For roughly a quarter of an equivalent-performance European hypercar, it seats five, charges on the widest fast-charging network in North America, and receives new features over the air years into ownership.
How to use
Owner's walkthrough
Practical guide for everything a new owner asks on day one — starting the car, finding the gear selector, drive modes, infotainment, driver aids, and easy-to-miss features.
02
Where the gear selector is (and how to use it)
Console-mounted shifter with R-N-D-S notches; paddles behind the wheel for manual gear control.
03
Drive modes
Drive modes are accessed via the drive-mode selector on the console. Available modes typically include Normal, Sport, Eco. Each mode reshuffles throttle mapping, steering weight, adaptive dampers (if equipped), exhaust valves, and stability-control thresholds. On performance trims, an 'Individual' or 'Custom' slot lets you save your favorite combination so you can recall it with one click instead of nesting through menus.
04
Cluster & head-up display
The driver display is a Digital cluster. Use the steering-wheel left thumb-pad to cycle layouts (Classic, Sport, Navigation, Minimal). When in Sport / Track mode the cluster automatically swaps to a wide tach with gear indicator and tire-temperature readout. The head-up display brightness, height, and content are configured from Settings → Displays → HUD.
05
Infotainment & voice control
Infotainment runs on Central touchscreen with smartphone mirroring. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard; pair from Settings → Connections the first time, then it auto-connects whenever your phone is in range. Steering-wheel push-to-talk wakes the in-car assistant for nav, climate, calls, and messaging without touching the screen. The main display also hosts vehicle-specific apps: tire pressures, performance data recorder (where fitted), drive-mode customizer, and the camera views.
06
Driver assistance
Standard driver aids include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Toggle each system individually from the driver-assist menu (steering-wheel left-pad → Assistance). Highway-driving assist (hands-off in marked lanes on supported roads), automatic lane-change on indicator tap, traffic-jam assist for stop-and-go, and a 360° surround camera with transparent-hood mode are all available and worth enabling for the first time before driving in heavy traffic.
07
Charging
DC fast-charging happens through the CCS1 (or NACS, for newer 2025+ US-market models) port. Plug in, the car negotiates power automatically — typical 10–80% takes 18–28 minutes on a 350 kW charger. Level-2 home charging via J1772 covers a full charge overnight (8–11 hours). The car app schedules charging during cheap off-peak hours and pre-conditions the cabin while still plugged in so you don't drain range warming up.
08
Keys & phone-as-key
Beyond the physical key, this car supports Smart key. Set up phone-as-key from the Manufacturer app app: it provisions a secure credential to your phone's wallet so a tap on the door handle unlocks the car and placing the phone on the wireless charging pad authorizes ignition. You can also share temporary keys to family members (with optional speed and area limits on performance trims) directly from the app.
09
First-week tips & easy-to-miss features
A few things every new owner tells us they wish they'd known on day one:
- Enable one-pedal driving in the dynamics menu — once you adapt (about 30 minutes), you'll rarely touch the brake in town and regen does the slowing.
- Pre-condition the battery before fast-charging by entering the charger in nav — the car warms the pack for full-speed charging.
- Download the brand app (Manufacturer app) and pair it with your VIN before your first long trip — remote climate, charging/fuel-level checks, and remote lock-status save you walking back to the garage in winter.