Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S Upcoming Hardware and Software Upgrades
I finally found a chunk of time to sit down and watch Tesla’s 2014 annual shareholder meeting. There’s a lot of information scattered throughout the video, but for this write up I just wanted focus on the hardware and software features that were mentioned by Elon in the video. The features section is fairly short and starts at the 13:07 minute mark and runs through to 15:49.
Personalized Software
Elon said that you’ll be able to personalize the car a lot more from from something as little as naming your car within the Tesla portal and app to more advanced personalization through learning behavior. Not a lot of detail was provided around the personalized learning, but he did mention calendar integration and the ability to factor in traffic data and commute times to your scheduled calendar appointments. This sort of sounds like what you get from an iOS or Android device when taking a look at your day view calendar.
Community Based Traffic
Traffic optimized directions, re-routing around traffic, alerts for upcoming traffic are also on its way. The intelligence for this is from both a collaborative network of other Model S cars on the road as well as external data sources (he said 20 million other data sources). The Model S network data will be given preference/priority over the other data sources, but it won’t be the only source of data. I sincerely hope that data sources include Google traffic. He compared the collaborative network between the Model S to Waze. There may be possibilities that would allow Model S drivers to interact with one another and collaborate on reporting speed traps, road closures, etc. The traffic re-routing will be a great addition but a more interactive environment between Model S’ really opens up some interesting possibilities for the future.
One flier that Elon threw out at the very end (~1h10min mark) is that he’s confident that within a year you’ll be able to go from highway onramp to highway offramp without touching any controls. Their dates aren’t very believable and its not clear if he’s just talking about the possibility of doing this (Google already can do this sort of thing) or if he meant this would be available in a Tesla product. Either way it will be an exciting next step in the driving experience!
Tesla Model S Seat Option
It should be no surprise to most Tesla owners that Tesla Motors does not have model years for their cars. Instead they roll out changes as they’re needed. Elon cited several cases of improvements made to the seats and undercarriage (Titanium). In addition to that, he mentioned several new features that were introduced like power folding mirrors and parking sensors. The only real “hardware” upgrade that he made mention of is coming later this year as another seat option. It sounds like the current seats will remain standard and this new seat will be an upgrade option that can be retrofitted into the existing Model S price. I’d expect the new seats to be a significant upgrade, but I’m quite happy with the current ones I have.
Summary
There wasn’t a lot of breaking news about features within this shareholder meeting but there were some good clarifications. The collaborative network part between Model S’ was the most exciting and something I hadn’t heard of before. I had assumed they would just use Google traffic. The other items like upgraded seats and a more personalized experience are also interesting.
In terms of a delivery timeline, Elon said it was “rolling out fairly soon” but given their poor history on date estimations, it’s anyones guess when this will be.
This morning’s reports of a Tesla Cybertruck recall only went to shed more light on how the production ramp of the pickup is going.
With delivery figures for the third quarter revealed yesterday, it also shows a grim reality for the Model S and Model X, two vehicles that have become more of a novelty in Tesla’s lineup as the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck have truly taken charge.
The NHTSA documents released this morning show the Cybertruck is being recalled for a delayed rearview image, which will be resolved with an Over-the-Air update.
Tesla addresses Cybertruck rearview camera “recall” with free software update
However, they also show that 27,185 units are potentially impacted by the issue, giving us a rough guess of how many Cybertrucks have been produced thus far.
The breakdown seems to show that from the last Cybertruck recall in June, when 11,688 units were potentially impacted, we have seen roughly 15,497 additional pickups make their way to customers.
In a perfect world, that would mean 910 Cybertruck are delivered every week, or 130 per day, and since the first recall occurred with three weeks left in June and in Q2, we can subtract 2,730 Cybertrucks from the 15,497 that have been delivered since then.
We know that as of now there are 27,185 Cybertrucks delivered, and as of June 6, there were 11,688 Cybertrucks delivered.
That means 15,497 were delivered between June 6 and today (maybe yesterday?), which is about 910 per week or 130 per day.
EDIT: since this recall includes…
— ⚙️ Mike, cyberowners.com (@TeslaTruckClub) October 3, 2024
These figures are very rough estimates. That would leave 13,157 Cybertrucks delivered in Q3, roughly.
Tesla said 22,915 Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck were delivered in Q3. This would leave just 9,758 Model S and Model X to be delivered, less than 10,000 units for an entire quarter, if the Cybertruck delivery figures are close to accurate.
“We’re Continuing to Make Them for Sentimental Reasons”
Elon Musk said during the Q3 2019 Earnings Call that the Model S and Model X are truly vehicles that are “niche products,” and they knew it wouldn’t take the company to a mass-market status:
“I mean, they’re very expensive, made in low volume. To be totally frank, we’re continuing to make them more for sentimental reasons than anything else. They’re really of minor importance to the future.”
Tesla’s Q1 ’21 Deliveries prove Elon Musk was right about the Model S and X in 2019
Interestingly, the vehicles have had their moments through the past few years. In Q4 2023, the Model S and Model X saw their highest delivery count in five years, accounting for 22,969 deliveries that quarter.
Now, they’re around the 10,000 mark.
It will be interesting to see what Tesla’s plans are for these two cars, especially as Robotaxi unveiling is scheduled for next week, and there could be the potential for more vehicles to be released in the coming years with the next-gen platform taking focus.
It would be a real gut punch to the long-time Tesla fans who saw the Model S and Model X launch the company into the Model 3. But all good things must come to an end.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla has launched a 3-year subscription bundle for the Model S and Model X. The $5,000 bundle includes access to Full Self Driving (FSD) (Supervised), free Supercharging, and Premium Connectivity.
Tesla’s official website shows that the 3-year subscription bundle is only available for the Model S and Model X for now. Model 3 and Model Y orders are only allowed to purchase FSD for its full 8,000 price. This is understandable as Tesla is likely testing the waters for the 3-year subscription bundle.
So let's break this down for Model X and S owners:
— Ale𝕏andra Merz 🇺🇲 (@TeslaBoomerMama) August 9, 2024
Monthly subscription
– to FSD $99
– to Premium Connectivity $9.99
then add $30 of free supercharging per month
and after three years, it adds up to … 🥁 … $5,000 https://t.co/UleF6mIrIo
The 3-year FSD (Supervised), free Supercharging, and Premium Connectivity bundle have mostly received support from the electric vehicle community, some of whom noted that the service would probably be popular among those who lease their cars for three years. It should be noted, however, that vehicles that are for commercial use are not eligible for the 3-year bundle.
The price of the 3-year bundle is quite reasonable considering the individual prices of the services that are included. Full Self Driving’s monthly subscription costs $99, so three years of the service would be worth $3,564. Premium Connectivity, at $10 a month, would cost $360 over three years. Free Supercharging could not be purchased individually, but a reasonable value for the service could be around $30 a month or $1,080 over three years. Together, the three services amount to $5,004 over a three-year period.
Tesla Bundle subscription agreement pic.twitter.com/01Z4QHDI9O
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) August 9, 2024
Tesla’s 3-year bundle has the makings of a popular service, but the fact that it is currently limited to the Model S and Model X means that only a small group of customers would be able to take advantage of the offer. As per Tesla’s Q2 vehicle delivery and production report, Tesla only delivered a total of 21,551 non-Model 3/Y vehicles in the second quarter. From that number, Cox Automotive estimated that 8,755 were Tesla Cybertrucks. This means that just over 12,700 Model S and Model X were sold in the second quarter.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Tesla has started shipping the Model S Plaid flagship sedan with newly-redesigned Sport seats.
The Model S Plaid has been available for customers for a few years now, and while it is a mainstay in Tesla’s lineup, its look and feel are not quite old or outdated enough to justify a complete redesign.
However, Tesla has a knack for updating certain things within the vehicle, especially interior options, including steering wheels or a simplified interior altogether, as it did with the Model 3 “Highland.”
It has done this with the Model S Plaid, the premier version of its flagship sedan.
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- Credit: Tesla
After leaked images of a newly designed Model S Plaid seat appeared last October, it was clear that Tesla had some plans to update the seats for a new look and advantages that would fit the high-performance EV.
Tesla has brought some new features with these Sport Seats:
- Track-inspired bolstering that provides lateral support
- Suede bolsters for increased grip, exclusive Plaid composite design in the backrest
- Same comfort and 12-way power adjust, heating, and ventilation as original Model S Plaid seats
For what it is worth, the seats appear to be similar to the ones that leaked in the images in October.
However, the leaked images showed some minor quality issues with loose paneling, so we’re hopeful they have refined this with the units it will ship:
Credit: u/s3pirion on r/TeslaMotors
Tesla launched the new Sport Seats in the Plaid Model S in both the North American and Chinese markets this evening. All Model S Plaid vehicles built from April 1, 2024, and beyond will now come standard with these seats, so there is no additional upcharge for them.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
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