Tesla has dared to bring its craziest car to Europe, and it's 20,000 euros cheaper than a Porsche Taycan Turbo

Announced in January 2021, the  Tesla Model S Plaid  has been a model expected by many of its European customers, but Elon Musk's company did not give any details on the date of sale or delivery at the time of its presentation.

For 18 months, the new  Tesla Model S  and  Tesla Model X  were only available in the United States. They were simply not for sale in Europe. But his arrival is imminent.

Tesla has started selling the new Model S and Model X  in Europe. In fact, they can already be configured and the prices for Spain are known. And indeed, the  aviation-type steering wheel  is retained.

At first, only the Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid are available. The respective Long Range versions of these will go on sale from 2023.

Prices and delivery times for the Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid

Prices for the Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid are significantly higher than initially thought, up to $20,000 more expensive than early estimates. The final and official prizes  are as follows:

• Tesla Model S Plaid: from 139,990 euros
• Tesla Model X Plaid: from 143,990 euros

As for the delivery dates of the Model S and Model X Plaid purchased now, the brand announces a range that goes from December 2022 to February 2022.

The Tesla Model S Plaid replaces the Performance in the lineup. It has a third electric motor to achieve  1,020 hp . Enough power to accelerate from  0 to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds  and climb to a top speed of 322 km/h. On the other hand, it would lose a little autonomy compared to the old Performance version:  600 km  against 639 km for the Performance.

As for the Model X Plaid, it equips the same engines for a total power of 1,020 HP, but with slightly lower performance. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and reaches 262 km/h, while Tesla estimates its range in the WLTP cycle at 528 km.

Tesla no longer officially publishes the capacity of its car batteries, but those who have  disassembled the battery  from a Model S Plaid calculate that it has a  gross capacity of 99 kWh  and a useful capacity of around 95 kWh.

Two years without new Tesla Model S and Model X in Europe

On the other hand, the first customers to have made a reservation could see their car arrive as early as this month of August. Some customers ' Tesla  Accounts  have been updated with an invitation to prepare to take delivery and pay for the car as soon as possible.

The arrival of the Model S Plaid and the Model X Plaid in Europe marks the return of the Tesla "Made in USA" to our continent. The Fremont plant in California remains the only one to manufacture the Tesla Model S and Model X, while the Gigafactory in Shanghai and Berlin only manufacture the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.

This means that in the third quarter of 2022, there should be exports of American Tesla cars to Europe, which has not been seen for many months.

If this is confirmed and the first deliveries of the Tesla Model S Plaid or Model X Plaid arrive this year, it will end a cycle of just  over two years without a single new Tesla Model S or Model X be sold in Europe.