The Tesla Model S debuted in 2012, making it the longest-running vehicle in the all-electric automaker's lineup. The luxury sedan has received just two significant design and mechanical updates in eight years (a revamped nose and an all-wheel-drive variant), but over that same period, the car has been incessantly tweaked.
Most recently, the Model S's range was boosted to 402 miles, in the "Long Range Plus" configuration, which sells for about $75,000 new. This platform, when it was first rolled out in 2012, delivered just 208 miles per charge for the less expensive, smaller-batteried version, and 265 miles for the larger option.
The improvement is, in a word, staggering. The Model S of 2020 is basically the same vehicle as what we first saw in 2012, built on the same assembly line in California. Over time, it's acquired supercar-beating performance, added more premium elements to its interior, and acquired semi-autonomous driving technology. The range has gradually ticked up.
Pricing has remained relatively stable, and high, raising the question of whether an "aging" platform is still worth the steep sticker. The timeless design and the steady march of improvement provides an answer.
The issue, then, is that as I've noted before, we take the Model S and its brilliance for granted. The Model 3 captured far more attention when it launched several years ago, and the Model X SUV is much flashier, tech-wise. But the Model S, now with yet more range, remains probably the best Tesla money can buy.
Here's why: