The Morning After: Tesla offers cheaper Model S and Model X options with shorter range

Tesla has quietly launched new – much cheaper – Model S and X variants with a shorter quoted range. Standard Range Teslas are around $10,000 less than the base model, but with ranges cut by 80 and 79 miles, respectively. Both cars are half a second slower 0 to 60, so you might expect your overall responsiveness to drop as well. It’s not clear if the vehicles are the base models with some of the capacity software-locked, or if there’s really a much-smaller battery under the floor.
It’s also not clear when development work began on the models but, at the end of July, Reuters suggested Tesla had overstated its range figures, especially when its EVs are fully charged. It said the vehicles would only report honest range targets when the battery had fallen to 50 percent, at which point the numbers would fall dramatically. And that Tesla had a team set up in Las Vegas to deflect user queries about diminished range when they tried to arrange a service appointment. That report has already triggered the start of a class action lawsuit in California, accusing the company of fraud.
— Dan Cooper
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-tesla-offers-cheaper-model-s-and-model-x-options-with-shorter-range-111540531.html?src=rss
Tesla has quietly launched new – much cheaper – Model S and X variants with a shorter quoted range. Standard Range Teslas are around $10,000 less than the base model, but with ranges cut by 80 and 79 miles, respectively. Both cars are half a second slower 0 to 60,…
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