It has been more than two years since Tesla last delivered the Model S and X to Europe. This has undoubtedly disappointed a lot of prospective buyers, however, the wait seems to finally be over as a ship carrying Model S Plaids is expected to dock in Zeebrugge, Belgium today.
Follow us today...
The refreshed Model S & X incorporate the boldest design change in Tesla’s history, at least, since the EV maker unveiled the Model 3 without an instrument cluster back in 2016.
The new Model S Long Range & Plaid have started customer deliveries and they have been met with unanimous admiration for their performance and tech.
Especially the Plaid Model S which has been setting world records as the first production vehicle that can go 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 2 seconds. According to Elon Musk, the Plaid Model S accelerates 20% quicker than gravity.
Related news: Tesla Unveils V4 Supercharger With 1000KW Capability, 3X Current Density & Will “Be Used For Cybertruck”
The tech in the vehicles has also been met with equal awe. The new Model S & X come standard with an AMD GPU on par with the latest gaming consoles such as the Playstation 5.
The new Model S & X also have active noise cancelation where microphones in the vehicle emit sound waves which cancel out road noise giving the vehicle a quiet luxurious drive.
With all these amazing features interest in the refreshed Model S and X has been through the rough. However, where the problem lies for the two vehicles is in their low production numbers and limited geographical access.
Tesla stopped producing the Model S and X in late 2020. At the time, Tesla said production was halted to upgrade the Model S and X lines to produce the refreshed version of those vehicles.
Tesla initially expected to only shut down the Model S & X lines for 18 days. However, worldwide parts shortage coupled with battery scarcity forced Tesla to extend the shutdown for several months.
In July 2021, Tesla restarted the Model S production line and at the time Elon Musk said “we’re in production and going to deliver the first 25 cars now, and then basically should be at several hundred cars per week soon and a thousand cars per week next quarter.”
Since then, Tesla has been able to significantly increase Model S and X production. Up to the third quarter of 2022, Tesla has delivered slightly more than 50,000 Model S & Xs.
Although impressive, this is significantly less than Tesla’s plan to produce 100,000 Model S & Xs per year. And the limited production number has meant, Tesla has been forced to restrict Model S & X deliveries to North America.
This has meant, Model S and X reservation holders in Europe and China have been forced to wait for more than 2 years to get delivery of their vehicle.
Related News: Biggest Reveals From the Tesla Semi Delivery Event
Undoubtedly, this has caused a lot of frustration among enthusiastic customers who can’t wait to get their hands on the new vehicles. However, the wait seems to have finally come to an end as a ship carrying Model S Plaids is expected to dock in Zeebrugge, Belgium today.
This will make the Model S Plaid the first refreshed version of Tesla’s luxury sedan to be sold in Europe. Currently, all the available information suggests the ship is only carrying the Model S Plaid meaning the wait for Long Range Model S and Model X reservation holders will still continue.
Nevertheless, it is still exciting to see the first customer-deliverable Model S Plaids arriving in Europe. Currently, the ship has yet to dock in Belgium, however, we will be sure to keep you posted as Tesla makes the first Model S Plaid deliveries in Europe.
Until then, make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
Image: Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
So what do you think? Excited to see the first Model S Plaid arriving in Europe? Also, do you think the vehicle will be worth the 2 years wait? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.
For more information check out: Tesla’s Giga Press Supplier Reveals It’s Already Working On A 2nd Giga Press For The Cybertruck
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily
Follow us today...