[stetrain]

I think that the 200kwh battery pack is probably important for getting the instantaneous power out of the pack to hit their performance numbers.

More battery cells in parallel = more current draw. The range is probably more of a bonus side effect of having enough battery cells to hit the power and acceleration targets.

[mikeash]

Yep, this is why Tesla's current flagship is the P100D, rather than a P75D. The larger battery gives you better performance, even though it's heavier.