It Has Three Motors
When the Model S first arrived all the way back in 2012, it had just a single motor powering the rear wheels. An all-wheel drive version with a motor for each axle arrived in 2014, and currently, it's the only configuration available for the Model S. Now, Tesla is upping the ante with a third motor. Elon Musk confirmed as much on (where else?) Twitter last month, but offered no further technical details.
What's the advantage of a third motor? Torque vectoring. The ability to control what wheels on opposites sides of the car are doing provides for some fascinating handling possibilities. For example, the new Acura NSX has a motor for each front wheel. In corners, the NSX will overdrive its outside front wheel and drag the inside front, helping the car turn in more sharply. Rimac and Lotus are both developing EVs with a motor for each wheel, while Ferrari just unveiled the SF90 Stradale hybrid, which uses a similar front-axle setup as the NSX.
It's unclear if the Model S Plaid will use two motors at the rear axle and one at the front, or vice versa. Either way, a three-motor Model S is a very interesting prospect. And, the three-motor Plaid setup will make its way to the Model X crossover and the Roadster, too.
