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Tesla's Model 3 gets quicker cornering with 'Track Mode'
Tesla has just made your Model 3 Performance EV a helluva lot more fun with the launch of Track Mode. The software shuts down all the traction control protection that normally prevents wheel slip in order to keep your car between the scenery. With that turned off, the dual electric motors are repurposed to improve cornering and, judging by Tesla's demo video below, transform the Model 3 into a drifting machine.
Tesla package will enable Track Mode for more Model 3 buyers
Tesla's Model 3 Performance is potentially a tuner's dream EV thanks to its upcoming Track Mode, but there's a problem: to get that Track Mode, you have to spring for a Performance Upgrade package on top of the Performance trim level. You won't have to worry if you had cold feet and bought 'just' the regular version, however. Tesla has confirmed that it's working on an after-the-fact Performance Upgrade package that should arrive around the same time as Track Mode itself. It's not clear how much this will cost, but it's likely higher than the $5,000 you'd pay to have it included at the factory.
Tesla explains Track Mode on the Model 3 Performance
When word got out that Tesla's Model 3 Performance trim included an experimental Track Mode, it raised eyebrows: was it disabling safety limits to let you thrash the EV, or was there something else to it? You now have a proper answer. Tesla explained to both Road and Track and Electrek that Track Mode is changing the very characteristics of the car. It switches up the regenerative braking to rely more on the traction of the dual motors and slip distribution, increasing the regenerative power and providing the lift-off oversteer that drift fans crave. You'll also see a new powertrain cooling algorithm that's better-suited to the constant demands of a day at the circuit.
Tesla's Model 3 Performance has an experimental 'Track Mode'
Tesla's Model 3 is very quick, especially if you spring for the dual-motor Performance variant, but it's still tame for safety's sake. What if you want to launch an all-out assault on a race course? You might have that option soon. YouTuber Marques Brownlee recently had an opportunity to drive the Model 3 Performance on a track, and he pointed out an experimental "Track Mode" that takes the gloves off. The in-testing feature switches on "stability control and powertrain settings configured for track driving," and it's no secret what that means: you can drift, understeer and otherwise push the electric car past its usual limits.
