From MuskReads
On January 27, the day Tesla released its fourth-quarter 2020 earnings report, the company unveiled a dramatic refresh of the Tesla Model S and Model X. It features a more Model 3-like interior, rumored as far back as July 2018, with a horizontal central touchscreen and extra touchscreen for rear passengers. The built-in gaming system has 10 teraflops of power, which, on paper, rivals new consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 5.
Other changes include a new steering wheel, which more closely resembles ones seen on the second-generation Roadster prototypes.
The new wheel lacks the stalks. Musk claimed on Twitter that the car would guess when users want to change driving mode based on the context.
The new Model S comes in three flavors:
- A $78,490 dual motor version, with 412 miles of range, a top speed of 155 mph, and 0 to 60 mph acceleration times of 3.1 seconds. Deliveries are estimated for March.
- A $118,490 tri-motor “Plaid” version, with 390 miles of range, a 200 mph top speed, and 0 to 60 mph acceleration of just 1.99 seconds. Deliveries are estimated for March.
- A $138,490 tri-motor “Plaid+” version, with over 520 miles of range, 200 mph top speed, and under 1.99 seconds acceleration time to 60 mph. This car is set to ship in late 2021.
On the Model X side, both of which are currently expected to reach customers in April:
- An $88,490 dual motor model comes with 360 miles of range, 155 mph top speed, and 0 to 60 mph acceleration times of 3.8 seconds.
- A $118,490 tri-motor model comes with 340 miles of range, a 163 mph top speed, and 0 to 60 mph acceleration times of 2.5 seconds.
Tesla is one of the many companies using a car configurator for its online orders, which one expert claims helps to create an “endowment effect” in buyers’ minds.
Beyond the new cars, Tesla’s earnings offered mixed results. While the company posted its sixth consecutive quarter of profit and first full year of profit, it also missed analyst expectations for earnings per share.
