There was a time when every drag race video on YouTube featured a Tesla Model S Plaid. The reason was simple: the electric sedan could take on any competition. Tesla has now deigned to explain the secret behind the car’s success.
In a recent video, Chris Mayfield, one of Tesla’s performance engineers, reveals how the Model S Plaid prepares itself to accelerate quickly. This is all part of what Tesla calls Drag Strip Mode.
Firstly, the Model S’s cooling fans start running to lower the temperature of the drive units. According to Mayfield, the coolest temperature is ideal for the drive units to make the most power.
At the same time, the batteries are being warmed up, but only slightly. Mayfield explains that the batteries are being raised to their optimal temperature range.
Then comes the best-known feature of Drag Strip Mode: Cheetah Stance. This is initiated by holding one’s left foot firmly on the brake and pressing the accelerator pedal with the right foot. The car squats a little bit when this happens as the motors strain against the brakes.
However, the real trick with Cheetah Mode is that the adjustable suspension lowers the front end of the car. According to Mayfield, “This pre-loads the car low and improves front axle traction so that when you launch, instead of the front of the car coming up, and you lose traction off the front wheels, it actually holds the front of the car down as you accelerate and gives you better grip all the way through the 0-60.”
With the enormous amount of power being directed to the ground through the Model S Plaid’s four wheels, three electric motors pumping out 1,020 hp (761 kW/1,034 PS), the car can accelerate to 60 mph (96 km/h) in about two seconds and run through the quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds.
Tesla’s Drag Strip Mode is a combination of cooling, battery warming, and Cheetah Stance that maximizes the car’s power and traction. As Mayfield sums up, “It’s really all about the fundamentals of how the car works, and how you can optimize it for that really quick burst of speed.”
