Tesla News: Software Update May Mean Car Can Go 0-60 MPH in 2.4 Seconds, Says Elon Musk

This article originally appeared in the Motley Fool.

Earlier this month, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) said its P100D Model S was about to get a performance boost through an over-the-air software update. Already the world's fastest-accelerating car currently in production, it's difficult to imagine the car's 2.5-second zero-to-60 time getting any better. But, according to a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday, a faster zero-to-60 time is indeed on the way.

"Looks like the Model S P100D Easter egg will allow it to do 0 to 60 mph in 2.4 sec and a 10.6 sec 1/4 mile via software update next month," Musk said.

The company's Model X SUV's zero-to-60 and quarter-mile times will also improve by 0.1 seconds, Musk said in another tweet.

As an "Easter egg," owners will have to search for a way to unlock the performance boost. Tesla has hidden Easter eggs in its software before, including a Mario Kart-like rainbow road that displays in the dash, a warp-speed-looking 5-second animation on the 17-inch touch screen, among others. This Easter egg, though, is the first to unlock a significant performance enhancement.

There are several reasons Tesla software updates like these are notable. First, by delivering a significant performance update for its flagship versions of Model S and Model X, Tesla continues to demonstrate the value its software can bring to its fleet over time. Second, software updates likely also help boost press coverage and word-of-mouth marketing, both of which are particularly important to Tesla since it doesn't pay for advertising.

However, it could also be said that investors already expect Tesla to deliver this kind of value to customers, making moves like this more of a requirement at this point rather than a bonus.

Daniel Sparks owns shares of Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.