A Model 3 Plaid? Tesla's Engineering Chief Can't Stop Thinking About It
Tesla engineering VP Lars Moravy says a tri-motor Model 3 is something he thinks about constantly, even as the Roadster takes priority.
Tesla may bring back the idea of a compact «Plaid» in an unexpected form. With the Model S and Model X discontinued, the brand no longer has a full-fledged flagship Plaid version, and the new Model 3 Performance — fast as it is — still falls noticeably short of the old Model S Plaid, which hit 60 mph in roughly 2 seconds.
On the Ride the Lightning podcast, Tesla's VP of vehicle engineering Lars Moravy was asked point-blank whether the Model 3 could get a three-motor layout. He didn't rule it out, saying: «I think about it all the time».
According to him, this isn't a marketing fantasy but a genuine engineering puzzle the company is already weighing. The dream is to fit the Model 3 with a motor that uses a carbon-sleeved rotor. That very technology helped the Model S Plaid sustain ferocious acceleration at high speeds. For the smaller, more affordable Model 3 it could be a serious leap: not just a quick sedan, but a near-track-ready EV with plenty of pull left after the initial launch.
But there's no cheating physics. Today's Model 3 Performance uses two motors — one on each axle. Adding a third electric machine to the rear subframe means finding room where there's almost none. It would call for changes to the packaging, cooling, electronics and probably part of the structural layout.
Moravy also acknowledged the commercial side. A tri-motor Model 3 would demand significant engineering effort with an uncertain business payoff: the version would be niche and expensive. Right now Tesla's high-performance team is focused on the new Roadster, which is set to receive the company's freshest motors and technology.
If the Roadster reaches production, some of those solutions could in theory trickle down the lineup. A three-motor Model 3 would then become not just a fan's dream but a plausible way to fill the void left by the Plaid. For now, though, Tesla is choosing not the fastest sedan but the project that matters most to its image.