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Marketing staff should not be allowed any input on product or model naming and designations. All they can think about is making the current version sound like the ultimate. Then comes the double ultimate. Computer h/w and s/w are poster children for this nonsense. Advanced Technology. New Technology. Yada, yada. With no clue or memory that what's new will be old and primitive in a year or two.
If you want Tesla to do away with model year designations, you need to understand that they can't. NHTSA regulations require that the car have a model year. Furthermore, the EPA certifies by model year as emissions regulations change virtually every model year (yeah, I know an electric car doesn't emit anything, but they still need to certify). Same with fuel mileage ratings.
The problem with making running changes mid-model year is that it becomes a nightmare for us parts guys (Teslas will need parts too). Most of the time manufacturers will wait to institute changes until the model year run is out. That way there's always a clear break. Other times if a significant upgrade comes midyear, they will quickly certify and jump ahead to the next model year early. (Witness the short 2012 model year for the Corvette; the improved 2013 has been out for a while, plus they can take advantage of the 50th anniversary before the 2014 C7 comes out.) In any case, there are many cases where we have to get production dates to supply the correct parts. Even for a mechanic sometimes this is like pulling teeth; the average retail customer usually has no idea what we're talking about.
Long story longer at this point, but whether Tesla wants to call their Roadsters 1.5 or 2.0 or whatever, and regardless of what they'll do with the Model S, they still have to give them model years.
The problem with making running changes mid-model year is that it becomes a nightmare for us parts guys (Teslas will need parts too). Most of the time manufacturers will wait to institute changes until the model year run is out. That way there's always a clear break. Other times if a significant upgrade comes midyear, they will quickly certify and jump ahead to the next model year early. (Witness the short 2012 model year for the Corvette; the improved 2013 has been out for a while, plus they can take advantage of the 50th anniversary before the 2014 C7 comes out.) In any case, there are many cases where we have to get production dates to supply the correct parts. Even for a mechanic sometimes this is like pulling teeth; the average retail customer usually has no idea what we're talking about.
Long story longer at this point, but whether Tesla wants to call their Roadsters 1.5 or 2.0 or whatever, and regardless of what they'll do with the Model S, they still have to give them model years.
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