High Life

HIGH LIFE #11 Aug 2017 87 “I think it's quite a milestone that the fastest car in the world, of any kind, is electric,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said when the P100D was first launched late last year. But this car is about more than just speed. With a range of 315 miles, the P100D is the first electric car to crack 300 miles of driving range per charge– takingTesla closer thanever to its goal of expediting, in Musk’s words, “the move from a mineandburn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe tobe theprimary, butnot exclusive, sustainable solution.” It achieves such incredible performance via a number of unique features. Built on the Tesla platform, the battery’s location on the floor gives Model S an extremely low center of gravity, greatly reducing the risk of rollover while at the same time enhancing handling and performance. Without an engine, Model S has a crumple zone much larger than other performance sedans to absorb the energyof a frontend impact.