Tesla gives big range increase to Model S Performance

Tesla has given quite a significant range increase to the Model S Performance, but it’s the only trim of the Model S to receive an update.

Today, Tesla has updated its online configurators to confirm many anticipated changes to its lineup.

Model 3 has received its anticipated 2021 refresh, Model Y is getting a small range bump, and Model X is getting a decent range increase.

We previously reported on Tesla’s range increase for Model X, but Tesla has now made it official in the configurator:

• Tesla Model X Long Range Dual Motor: now 371 miles up from 351 miles
• Tesla Model X Performance: now 341 miles up from 305 miles

When it comes to the Model S, the change is a big range increase to the Model S Performance, which went from 348 miles to now 387 miles on a single charge.

All the other trims and specs remain unchanged in the online configurator:

A source familiar with the matter told Electrek that Tesla has updated its lineup with a new “efficiency package” for each model, resulting in longer range.

But the heat pump/Octovalve system has apparently only made it to the Model 3 for now — not Model S and Model X.

Electrek’s Take

A few of the changes today are hard to follow, like this one for the Model S with only the Performance version being affected.

Tesla is being opaque about what the new efficiency package does, but this is a more than 10% range increase and it doesn’t affect the range of the Model S Long Range Plus, though that one was recently increased to 402 miles.

The important thing to keep in mind here is that those are EPA estimates, and Tesla has been known to play around with those numbers before.

I think we are going to have to wait and see what kind of range owners are actually getting with the new versions of all these updated vehicles.