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Planning on chasing down any rogue Winnebagos or Druidian princesses in your Tesla Model 3? Then you’ll be happy to know that the brand’s forthcoming sedan will be available with Tesla’s much-loved “Ludicrous Speed” mode.

In a tweet dated April 29, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed as much, assuring a curious fan that the Model 3 will “of course” be offered with the neck-snapping drive mode.

@vigneshraju of course
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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2016

Needless to say, if the precedent set by the Model S and the Model X is anything to go by, then “Ludicrous Speed” will be reserved for the most performance-oriented (read: pricey) Model 3 sedans sold. And even then, it will likely be an option. Currently, Model S and Model X P90D buyers have to shell out an additional $10,000 for the “Ludicrous Speed Upgrade.” Although not cheap, Tesla claims that engaging Ludicrous Speed shaves approximately 0.3- and 0.6-second off of the electric vehicles’ 0-to-60-mph times, cutting the Model S’s sprint to 2.8 seconds and the Model X’s down to 3.2 seconds.

While top-end Model 3s may be blessed with the option to engage Ludicrous Speed, a new report suggests that base Model 3s may ultimately struggle to reach the brand’s promised range of 215 miles.

According to StreetInsider, Tesla Vice President of Global Investor Relations Jeff Evanson, in a call with Colin Langan, an analyst for UBS, and Jon Bereisa, former EV systems architect for the first-generation Chevrolet Volt and current head of the firm Auto Lectrification, confirmed that the base Model 3 will come standard with a battery pack smaller than 60 kWh. That’s less storage capacity than that of the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, a car General Motors vaguely promises will go “more than” 200 miles on a full charge. Nevertheless, the Model 3’s slick shape and partial use of aluminum may result in a car that’s both slippery and light enough to achieve the brand’s stated range goal.

While StreetInsider calculates that Tesla would be selling the Model 3 at a loss at a base price of $35,000, the hefty upcharge for “Ludicrous Speed” might make the model profitable.

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from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1TqOvtW

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