Tesla Confirms the Model S & X Will Get a Refresh in a Few Months. Adds, “There is No Plan to Discontinue the Vehicles Anytime Soon”

For years, the Model S and X production lines at Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant have been operating below capacity.

Even after a significant Model S & X refresh in 2021, demand has not been enough to run the production lines at full capacity.

Unfortunately, sales have remained stagnant even after Tesla cut Model S and X prices by over $30,000 in a couple of years.

This is bad enough; however, Model S & X sales have declined even further since Tesla began delivering the Cybertruck.

Currently, Tesla is struggling to sell 50,000 Model S and X worldwide. That’s despite having the installed capacity to produce 100,000 Model S and X each year.

This disappointing performance has fueled speculation that Tesla may discontinue the Model S and X, permanently removing them from the company’s lineup.

Elon Musk’s repeated statements that Tesla is building the Model S and X solely for nostalgic reasons further fueled these rumors.

However, Tesla’s VP of engineering, Lars Moravy, confirmed today that the Model S and X will not be discontinued.

Not only that, Lars has confirmed that Tesla plans to give these vehicles a refresh later this year.

The Tesla VP made this announcement during a recent interview with Ryan McCaffery, host of Ride the Lightning: The Unofficial Tesla Podcast.

Ryan asked the Tesla engineer when and if the Model S and X would get some of the newest Tesla features, such as the steer-by-wire system and the 48-volt architecture present in the Cybertruck, and the interior ambient lighting present in the Model 3 and Model Y.

In response, the Tesla VP says…

“I think the Model S & X upgrade a couple of years ago was bigger than most people thought.

The cars greatly improved in terms of architecture and structure, but we'll give them some love later this year and ensure they receive some of the same materials we've been using in the Model 3 and Model Y.

Obviously, the Model 3 and the Model Y are higher-volume, so you have to focus on them and stay competitive.

However, everyone at Tesla loves the Model S and X. They have a special place in our hearts, so they're not going anywhere anytime soon."

This is very good news for Tesla Model S and Model X fans, who were afraid the vehicles might not remain in Tesla’s lineup for too long.

With the Model S and Model X last refreshed in 2021 and now the oldest vehicles in Tesla’s lineup, Lars’s confirmation of an upcoming update is also great news.

Further emphasizing the case for the Model S and X, the Tesla chief engineer continues to say…

“As Elon Musk mentions, there’s definitely some nostalgia involved in the decision to keep the Model S & X around, but we don’t have any immediate plans to change that.

They're also really great vehicles when you consider autonomy. If you're thinking about taking a road trip to Disneyland, I'd rather take a Model X than, you know, a Cyber Cab.”

Overall, it’s encouraging that the Model S and X will receive a refresh in the coming months. However, it’s still surprising that sales have been disappointing enough for Tesla to feel compelled to deny rumors about discontinuing those vehicles.

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Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.

For more information, check out: Tesla Confirms the Cyber Cab will Feature Plastic Body Panels & Will Not Require Painting. Instead, the Color Will be Injected While Molding the Polyurethane Panels – “No More Orange Peel or Paint Bleed”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily 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 Tesla news.