Tesla Model S And Model X Get New Motors, Boost Range And Power

Tesla Inc. on Wednesday announced its Model S and Model X SUV electric vehicles (EVs) produced this week and onwards will receive a significant boost in performance and range.

A new motor design will allow the new Model S Long Range to travel 35 more miles on a single charge compared to the previous version, for a total of 370 miles. On the other hand, the Model X Long Range SUV can go 30 more miles for a total of 325 miles on a charge.

The Model S Performance will see its range go to 345 miles from 315 miles. The Model X Performance will see its range extended to 305-mile range over the old model's 289-mile range. The boost in range for both old and new models is about 10 percent.

The Model S and X are Tesla’s most expensive EVs with both starting at around $90,000 before savings.

These EVs will also get some hardware updates that will improve "acceleration, and ride comfort," said Tesla. Analysts said these the upgrades might help lure customers to Tesla's more expensive vehicles.

"It's a way to keep those vehicles relevant," said Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book to CNN. "And since the Model S and Model X have been in production longer, they probably have a lot higher profit margins built in.”

All these old and new EVs carry the same 100 kWh battery, and the boost in performance for the newer models is solely because of a more efficient motor design, said Tesla. The company pointed out the biggest change is the switch to a permanent magnet reluctance motor at the front end.

This motor will also give the standard and long-range models faster 0 to 60 mph times. The base Model S will get to 60 mph in 4 seconds, while the Long Range trim will do it in 3.7 seconds (or a 0.4 second improvement). The base Model X will hit 60 in 4.6 seconds with the Long Range trim getting there in 4.4 seconds.

The entire Model S and Model X lineup can now be recharged using the new 200 kW V3 Superchargers designed for faster recharging. Automatically adaptive air suspension is now available that adjusts based on driving style and road conditions.

Tesla has also brought back the Model S and Model X Standard Range models. The Model S Standard Range (285 mile range) starts at $78,000, which is $10,000 less than the Long Range trim. The Model X Standard Range will reach 250 miles and starts at $83,000, which is also $10,000 less than the Long Range.