Electric vehicles are known for their rapid acceleration, and Tesla has always been at the forefront of demonstrating this. The first EV that made people sit up and take notice was the Model S 90D, which could sprint from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. It made Ludicrous Mode famous, and Tesla followed it up with the Model S Plaid in 2021. This tri-motor beast is relatively affordable and will reshape your face while it accelerates from 0-60 mph in two seconds flat. The only EVs that are faster cost millions.
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Thankfully, the Model S’ blistering performance has filtered down to the rest of the range. Even the cheapest model (Model 3 RWD) can sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds. But in the electric age, 0-60 mph times have become irrelevant. When a $60,000 Kia EV6 GT can get to 60 mph as fast as most supercars, does it even matter anymore? Also, it’s just a simple figure that gives no context, which is why we’re going to focus on quarter-mile times. That time plus distance covered, and a much better indicator of performance.
So here’s every Tesla model, rated from the slowest to the quickest.
6
Tesla Model Y Performance
Quarter-Mile: 11.8 Seconds
The slowest member of the Tesla range is still a stupidly fast car, capable of getting to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and on to a top-speed of 155 mph. The Tesla Model Y is also the best-selling car in the world, which means there’s no shortage of drag racing videos and claimed quarter-mile times. The figure we’ve come across the most is 11.8 seconds, as tested by several reputable sources.
The Model Y Performance is equipped with a dual-motor setup that produces 455 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque. These figures aren’t as wild compared to the likes of the 600-hp Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but it once again proves that the real power of electrification lies in the instant torque delivery. It may not have 600 horses, but the 455 electric ponies it does have are always awake and ready to pounce.
5
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Quarter-Mile: 11.5 Seconds
The fastest member of the facelifted Model 3 lineup, the Performance, made its debut last month, and comes with a host of exciting performance-oriented upgrades, such as a reinforced chassis, new-generation drive unit, and new forged wheels with high-performance tires. The interior comes with the sports seats, and the new Track Mode V3, accessible through the infotainment screen. Tesla’s Track Mode uses adaptive damping to keep the car as flat as possible around a circuit, while the throttle response is dialed up to 11.
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Tesla did not provide a quarter-mile figure, but the previous-generation Model 3 Performance could easily complete the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds. And that was when it only had 430 hp and 487 lb-ft on tap, and it needed 3.1 seconds to get to 60 mph. The new Model 3 Performance can get to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, which makes it the performance bargain of the decade. If nothing else, the latest Model 3 Performance is the perfect example of one of the best EV attributes, which is the democratization of speed. Before EVs came along, you had to pay six figures to get such a fast car. Now, you can pay $50,000 for a car and it will slap a BMW M3 Competiton in the face.
4
Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast
Quarter-Mile: 11 Seconds
Equally hyped and maligned thanks to its out-of-the-ordinary publicity campaign and the questionable claims regarding its capabilities, the Cybertruck is Tesla’s first venture into the world of pickup trucks, and has generated large amounts of controversy in the automotive world since it was first announced. The company claims the Cybertruck has the “handling of a sports car” thanks to its rear steering and steer-by-wire system. The Cybertruck comes in three different configurations: a single-motor RWD version, a dual-motor AWD version, and the most powerful variant, a tri-motor version dubbed the Cyberbeast. The latter accelerates to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, and can achieve a top speed of 130 mph.
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While the Cybertruck might not be able to complete a car wash without breaking down, you might want to be careful when taking it on in a drag race. Despite its hefty weight and off-road biased tires, independent tests have proved that it can complete the quarter-mile in 11 seconds dead. We’re not entirely sure it’s a good idea for such a heavy car to accelerate so fast, especially considering all the negative press around heavy electric trucks and crash tests.
3
Tesla Model X Plaid
Quarter-Mile: 9.83 Seconds
The Model X is, according to Tesla, “the highest performing SUV ever built”. The performance figures seem to support that claim. In Plaid trim, the Model X produces 1020 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 163 mph. Despite being an SUV, the Model X has a sleek, sedan-like shape with flowing, aerodynamic lines that give it the lowest drag coefficient of any production SUV on the market. This helps with efficiency, but also when you’re hammering down a drag strip.
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There are various videos of the Model X Plaid running the quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds. Our time is based on a test conducted in February 2022, when the Model X Plaid matched a Bugatti Chiron’s quarter-mile time. Yep, this seven-seat family crossover can keep up with a hand-built car built specifically to blast everything else out of the water.
2
Tesla Model S Plaid
Quarter-Mile: 9.24 Seconds
The Model S luxury sedan was the second vehicle Tesla ever built, and the one that firmly established its place in the electric revolution. Its sleek, streamlined silhouette gives it a very low drag coefficient, described by Tesla as being “the lowest on the planet”. Its performance figures are also record-breaking: with a 0-60 time of 1.99 seconds, which stood until the Rimac Nevera and Automobili Pininfarina Battista came along. For the record, the Nevera can get to 60 mph in 1.74 seconds, and that’s not the only record it holds.
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The Plaid is probably the most drag raced car in existence currently. It has set many times, but the one we’re going with is the time set by Jay Leno in 2021. The best thing about the Plaid is that it’s not just good in a straight line. It can handle itself around a track, and Tesla recently gave it the seats it always deserved.
1
Bonus: Second-Generation Tesla Roadster
Quarter-Mile: 8.8 Seconds
Obviously, the Roadster doesn’t count because it doesn’t exist yet. It hasn’t even been spotted in the wild, as production is not due to start until later this year, and that’s according to Elon Musk, so you can tack at least three years to that estimate.
According to Tesla, the next-gen Roadster will get to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and on to a top speed exceeding 250 mph. The most astonishing figure is the 8.8-second quarter-mile, which will make it the fastest production car in history.
We can’t wait to see if Musk pulls this one off.