Watch This Tesla Model X Deliver More Horsepower Than Expected on the Dyno
The 90D version of the crossover may not be the performance version…but it still packs a punch.
Turns out it isn't just McLaren's supercars that appear to be cranking out more power than expected. When the fellow behind the YouTube channel Tesla Trip rolled his Tesla Model X 90D onto a mobile dynamometer at Wyoming's Wind River Casino Car Show earlier this month to see how many ponies its dual motors were cranking out, the end result came as something of a surprise. According to the video's description, the all-wheel-drive Tesla was making 487 horsepower.
Granted, drivetrain losses for electric cars aren't comparable for conventionally-powered internal combustion vehicles; the Tesla Model X lacks many of the friction-generating intermediate components (such as a gearbox) that lie between the engine and drive wheels of a gas-powered car, thus reducing drivetrain-related power loss. As a result, electric cars likely wouldn't experience the 10–15 percent difference between crank horsepower and wheel horsepower seen in most cars roaming America's roads.
Complicating the issue further, Tesla is cagier than most manufacturers when it comes to citing horsepower for its vehicles. According to Wikipedia, which cites information no longer found on the Tesla website, the 90D uses a pair of 259-horsepower electric motors; however, sources such as Google, Inside EVs, and Autoblog claim the Model X 90D packs a total output of 417 horsepower. Assuming that output is correct, that means this crossover is making around 17 percent more power than expected.
One note to this video: While the YouTube clip's description claims the car makes 487 hp, the dyno results graph seen at the end shows the power curve (well, the power plateau, actually) peaking around the number 440. Owner Patrick Lawson—Mister Tesla Trip himself—told The Drive that he saw the 487-hp figure while looking at the real-time dyno readout, presumably on one of the other runs. He also stated that other people there say the car's output went as high as 497 hp at one point; however, he also added that the testers said they couldn't accurately read the car due to its lack of gears. Make of that what you will.
