Tesla Lowers Price on Model S and Model X, but Limits Battery Range and Other Features
It will also sell Ludicrous mode separately from now on, to the tune of just $20,000.
After killing the entry-level Model S and Model X just two weeks ago, today Tesla has launched new slimmed-down versions of the two premium flagship vehicles at a reduced price.
Foregoing any updates on the surface, Tesla appears to have revisited an old tactic of placing larger battery packs in lower-trim vehicles and software-limiting the charging capacity on the units to reduce the range of the vehicle, effectively treating the battery pack's charging capacity akin to a software license.
Tesla doesn't openly state the actual usable capacity of the battery pack, aligning the way it markets the Model S and Model X to the Model 3 (which is sold with generic battery trims and not pack capacity). It introduces the new models as just the "Model S" and "Model X" and rebrands the unfettered range vehicles by appending "Extended Range" to the vehicle's moniker. Tesla did not immediately return The Drive's request for clarification on the actual pack capacity.
To help understand the new pricing model, The Drive has put together a handy little chart:
The Model S will be priced at $85,000 without any upgrades and receive 310 miles of range, whereas the Model X will be slightly pricier at $88,000 and have 270 miles of range. Zero to 60 sits at 4.1 and 4.7 seconds, respectively.
The Extended Range versions of the car have remained largely unchanged, though Tesla did drop the price another $1,000 after slashing prices in early January following the reduction of the Federal tax incentive.
Where the most interesting change comes into play is with Tesla's infamous Ludicrous Mode, a feature which enables the Performance trims to sprint from zero to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. This feature is now unbundled from the Performance variants and sold as an independent upgrade. The cost? An additional $20,000 on top of the already hefty six-figure price tag.
