No "Refreshed" Model X or Model S Coming, Says Musk
Are you sitting around waiting for a Tesla Model S or Model X update before spending your hard-earned money on the high-end electric vehicle of your dreams? You might as well just buy now because, according to Elon Musk himself, there is no major refresh or updates coming to either of Tesla’s top-end models. Cue the sad trombone.
In response to a tweet from last night, Musk answered the question as to whether there would be an update on the horizon. “There is no ‘refreshed’ Model X or Model S coming” said the CEO, “only a series of minor ongoing changes.” Musk went on to then say there there might be small updates over time, like integrating the motor from the Model 3 into the S and X, but that just happened recently so there’s nothing in the pipeline.
There is no “refreshed” Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes. Most significant change in past few years was to use high efficiency Model 3 rear drive unit as S/X front drive unit. That went into production 3 months ago.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2019
The Twitter user then asked if there’d be any interior updates, because there have been alleged leaks of testing a new minimalist interior. The answer from Musk was quite direct.
“No.”
No
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2019
Other than the change in electric motors, which resulted in improved range, the only major update to the Model S was the removing of the grille from the front of the car. The X hasn’t had any major changes. While the automotive industry does update more slowly than big tech, most manufacturers would have looked into a full refresh at this point.
While there isn’t a need to update for the sake of range — the Model S’s 370 miles of range is fantastic — there are some areas of the car that could be improved upon. Interior materials are fine for a semi-premium commuter, but other cars at the Model S price point have nicer places inside to spend your time. Most just don’t offer a 100 percent EV experience. Not yet, anyway.
Though this should be good news for people looking to buy. Purchasing now before the federal tax credit goes away completely will save the buyer a few bucks in the long run, and customers don’t have to fear an update coming out that makes their brand new car obsolete. It appears Tesla is currently focusing most of its efforts on the upcoming Model Y and future products.
[Image: Tesla]
More by Chad Kirchner
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I don't think Tesla should feel pressured into designing and building generations of the same model car. If it ain't broken... Most manufacturers roll out a new generation model to attract new buyers, attract old buyers, progress, and keep up with the competition. Tesla is niche technology car brand that updates older vehicles through OTA software updates, does minor refreshes, and does continuous revisements to its production components. It costs a lot of money to redesign and unless the old model is fading towards obsolescence, I don' t see the point in taking the risk of turning a good model into a flop. Tesla seems to be following the Mazda Miata, Jeep Wrangler, & VW Golf. Yes there have been multiple generations of each, but the changes are relatively subtle and the older generations serve the same utility that the new ones do.
Like I've said before, Tesla is the high-tech version of AMC (bad), or Checker Motors (worse). They've spent plenty of money on battery and powertrain technology, but don't have the money or the resources to do every five year redesigns. It's only a matter of time before they're overtaken by the traditional manufacturers (the ones that do have the money and the resources) with their own BEVs.