The Model S, meanwhile, has had over a decade on the market. It was first released in 2012, and it was unlike anything else available at the time. When introduced, Tesla declared the upcoming vehicle “the world’s first premium electric sedan.” While both the Model 3 and Model S are sedans, the latter had a lot to prove at the time. Practicality questions regarding electric vehicles, coupled with a hefty launch price of $60,890 for the base model, meant that the Model S could be rather a difficult sell without potent specs.
With five years between the launch of the Model S and the Model 3, it’s more difficult to make a like-for-like comparison between them. Technological evolution will have played its part. Depending on its trim, though, the zero to 60 of a 2012 Model S is still below six seconds. 5.9 seconds for the Model S Sedan 4D, in fact, down to 4.4 seconds for the Signature Sedan and Signature Performance Sedan. Both Performance models offer a huge leap in hp from the standard Model S’s 302, reaching 416.
The 2012 Model S’s battery, in the case of the Tesla Model S 60, can reach 270 kW of output and 60 kWh capacity. It was a potent new entry in the EV sphere, but, of course, upgrades and new models have arrived for the Model S and Model 3 since their respective introductions.
