- Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering lets slip about update
- Recent Model 3 and Model Y refresh likely to influence upgrades
- Could Plaid+ variant make a return to Model S?
Tesla can be credited with spearheading the electric vehicle revolution, which is now arguably in full swing, but it can also be criticized for resting on its laurels when it comes to introducing new products and refreshing old ones.
Both the Model S and Model X have waited four years for an update, with even the previous 2021 tweaks proving underwhelming. Instead, Musk’s company has been relying on Over the Air (OTA) updates in order to add new software features to keep things interesting.
However, Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, revealed on the Ride the Lightning podcast (via Electrek) recently that both the Model X and Model S would receive “some love” later this year, stopping short of divulging full information on what that might entail.
We all know that Tesla operates outside of the automotive norms, shunning the legacy product life cycles that tend to see models refreshed or updated two or three years after launch, before a replacement model is announced a couple of years thereafter.
To compound matters, this traditional life cycle has been sped up in the era of battery packs and electric motors, such is the rate of advancement in battery technology, range and performance.
As a result, Tesla is not only facing much stiffer competition from fellow manufacturers, many of whom are now offering an entire range of electrified passenger cars and even vans, but also the threat of more predictable facelift and update cycles, which helps keep the PR and marketing output in full effect.
The recently refreshed Model Y proves that change is very much welcome when it comes to Tesla’s largely aging line-up. If we do witness much-needed updates to Model S and Model X this year, here are the 5 things we’d like to see.
1. Sharper styling from Model Y and Model 3
Tesla’s treatment of the front and rear bumpers, as well as the full-width rear light bar, on the recently refreshed Model Y have made a night-and-day difference to the way the vehicle looks.
It is generally sleeker, more purposeful and, simply put, cuts a more modern shape on today’s roads, which are now filled with exciting EV designs from the likes of Kia, Lucid, Rivian, Renault, Peugeot and many more.
Although the Model S still looks pretty good today, it would benefit from refreshed exterior styling, while the Model X, complete with its Falcon-Wing doors, could harness the various innovations in mass production to adopt an altogether more forward-thinking approach to design.
Something that will keep pace with the rapidly advancing automotive design trends that look set to remain for the foreseeable future.
2. Improved suspension and refinement
Often the butt of auto industry jokes and jibes, Tesla’s models have long suffered from relatively poor quality control, a fidgety ride and a general lack of refinement that the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW are famed for.
Again, the recently updated Model Y and Model 3 have made huge improvements when it comes to the quietness of the cabin, the vehicle’s body control and general handling dynamics thanks to the chassis and suspension innovations made during Cybertruck development.
3. Better interior quality and more tech
Small things, such as ambient lighting and heated seats throughout, helped to lift the interior quality of the recently refreshed Model Y. Alongside this, Tesla also added a second screen to the rear (as it did with Model 3), so passengers can enjoy entertainment on the move.
This refresh could also benefit from ditching the yoke-style steering wheel found in Model S and Model X, and replacing it with something more traditional, complete with proper indicator stalks, rather than cumbersome buttons.
As with all of Tesla’s recent model line-up, the Model S and Model X will greatly benefit from the latest Hardware 4 (HW4) set ups, which allows the vehicles to effectively park themselves, be remotely summoned and offer advanced levels of autonomous driving features.
4. Exciting Plaid models
The Tesla Model S Plaid already holds a number of coveted lap records, including being one of the fastest production electric cars to lap Germany’s infamous Nurburgring, but that hasn’t stopped punters wanting more.
The rumor mill has been working overtime of late, with talk of a Plaid+ variant returning to the Model S, which would see acceleration and top speeds lifted, as well as improvements introduced to handling.
5. Faster charging and better battery range
Although Tesla did improve the electric range in the refreshed Model Y, the figures weren’t exactly mind-blowing. The official EPA-rated range crept up from 311 miles for the outgoing model to 320 miles.
In addition to this, Tesla has 800V electrical architecture in its armory, meaning it could offer versions of the Model S and Model X with fast-charging capabilities, greatly reducing the amount of time sat at Tesla’s admittedly brilliant Supercharger network.
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