Most manufacturers who stick a letter D into the name of one of their cars are signifying it has a diesel engine. With Tesla, things are different.
First of all, it doesn't build anything with an engine of any sort, whether petrol or diesel. In the Model S (currently the only car it sells in this country, though that's about to change) the D stands for "dual motor". As well as having an electric motor driving the rear wheels there's an extra one driving the fronts.
This forces a reduction in the amount of luggage space under the bonnet, but there's still a decent amount of this. In any case, the Model S is impressively practical thanks to the rear cargo area. It is so large that you can optionally have two more seats fitted there, bringing the total passenger capacity to seven.
A more important consequence is that you automatically get four-wheel drive, and on top of that there's an increase in power. All Model S specifications produce over 300bhp, but the P85D outclasses the others in a big way with an output of no less than 682bhp.
To access all of it, you need to search through the enormous range of features on the colossal central touchscreen (a simple enough process as the menus are quite clear) and set the acceleration to Insane mode.
There is nothing hyperbolic about the name. Partly because of the power, but partly also because of the way all electric cars can get away from a standstill in a far more satisfactory manner than anything with an internal combustion engine. The Model S P85D is able to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.1 seconds.
There is no way of using words to describe what this feels like. It is simply shocking that a large, comfortable five-seater can gain speed so quickly - and indeed, since the sound effects are limited to a discreet whistle from the two motors and a sudden gathering of wind and road noise, so quietly.
It took me three attempts before I could do it without feeling sick. A friend to whom I demonstrated it said that he swore he could feel the blood that should have been running down through his legs being forced back up.
The handling is decent. It doesn’t exactly meet the standards of a sports car but it’s certainly impressive for such a large vehicle.
For this astonishing performance and the high-quality interior with a touchscreen (which among other things includes an internet browser), Tesla asks for £79,900, after the UK’s Plug-In Vehicle Grant is applied.
In absolute terms, that's quite a lot of money, but for what you get it's almost a bargain - all the more so when you factor in the running costs. For example, because the regeneration system provides so much deceleration it's very unlikely that you'll need a new set of brake pads, and if that should happen Tesla will replace them for free.
More impressive is what you can achieve if you use the Supercharger network, available only for Teslas because no other electric car has a battery that can cope with such a high charging rate. With this network, you could drive from Edinburgh to the south of France at a total fuel cost of precisely zero.
You don't even have to know where any of the Superchargers are before you begin your journey. The satellite navigation can tell you the locations of the ones you'll need, plus how long you have to keep the car plugged into them.
Vehicle Excise Duty is zero, of course, and Benefit In Kind taxation is as low as it could possibly be. That’s a fact that seems all the more extraordinary when you're rearranging your internal organs after a bout of Insane acceleration.
It's possible to bump the price up to six figures by picking a large number of optional extras. I would certainly go for the air suspension (£2,100) and the very supportive Next Generation seats (£2,100 again - most Tesla options cost that amount).
I would, however, avoid the 21-inch Grey Turbine wheels, which will set you back a breathtaking £3,800. I've driven other premium cars with worse ride quality than a Model S fitted with these, and they certainly add something to the appearance. Personally, however, I'd prefer smaller wheels and a greater ability to soak up bumps in the road.
