Plaid Edition Model S to Get Seven Seats, Production Starts Late 2020

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk confirmed today that a new version of the Model S sedan will go into production in October or November of 2020.

Musk acknowledged on Twitter that Tesla is testing a Model S with three motors dubbed the “Plaid” edition, which reportedly bested the Porsche Taycan’s record run at the famed Nürburgring race track in Germany by 20 seconds. 

“It’s a start,” Musk said on Twitter. 

“We expect these track times to be beaten by the actual production 7 seat Model S Plaid variant that goes into production around Oct/Nov next year,” he added.

Tesla previously offered a 7-seat option for the Model S, five front-facing and two rear-facing seats. It seems an updated version of that configuration with larger seats will be introduced next year. 

https://twitter.com/x/status/1173994491759321089

Musk did not offer further details on performance specs or price for cars equipped with the Plaid powertrain, but added that the option will also eventually be offered for the Model X and Roadster. 

 

[DW254]

Would be nice to see Elon focusing on improving the issues with current models rather than creating another model with it's own set of problems. There are lots of Model S owners fuming after their May software update removed 30-40 miles of range and doubled the supercharge time because of battery overheating fears.

Elon: How about putting some effort into fixing this issue for those Tesla owners who purchased Model S cars with a 265 mile range and 40-minute supercharge charge times only to have firmware reduce the range to 200 miles and now require 90-minutes for a 90% charge at a supercharge station?

I will never consider purchasing another Tesla until they restore our lost drive range and rectify the double supercharge times issue. Tesla turned our S85 into an S60 overnight, without notice and without permission. After 4 months of haggling with service centers, Tesla support and mobile techs, Tesla continues to take the position that "nothing is wrong with your car".

Buyers beware: What you purchase is not necessarily what you get to drive, as Tesla controls after-purchase performance with unannounced software updates.

 

[Guy V]

I mean Porsche spent 80 years figuring out how to go around a ring of pavement. Elon Musk is well on his way to getting private spaceflight to the moon. Just seems that Porsche lacks vision and ambition.

Oh, IDK, there is this:

"An important contributor to the German war effort during World War II,[1] Porsche was involved in the production of advanced tanks such as the VK 4501 (P), Tiger I, Tiger II, Elefant, and Panzer VIII Maus, as well as other weapon systems, including the V-1 flying bomb."

 

[larmor]

Would be nice to see Elon focusing on improving the issues with current models rather than creating another model with it's own set of problems. There are lots of Model S owners fuming after their May software update removed 30-40 miles of range and doubled the supercharge time because of battery overheating fears.

Elon: How about putting some effort into fixing this issue for those Tesla owners who purchased Model S cars with a 265 mile range and 40-minute supercharge charge times only to have firmware reduce the range to 200 miles and now require 90-minutes for a 90% charge at a supercharge station?

I will never consider purchasing another Tesla until they restore our lost drive range and rectify the double supercharge times issue. Tesla turned our S85 into an S60 overnight, without notice and without permission. After 4 months of haggling with service centers, Tesla support and mobile techs, Tesla continues to take the position that "nothing is wrong with your car".

Buyers beware: What you purchase is not necessarily what you get to drive, as Tesla controls after-purchase performance with unannounced software updates.

That is curious and i have a model x from 2016. A few months ago i ended up getting more miles per 90% charge, maybe they readjusted my profile, since my 90% used to be 215 and now is up to 225. The adjustment may have been related to my usage pattern, but i have no idea. I think maybe some of the miles you are missing, they gave them to me...

 

[DW254]

That is curious and i have a model x from 2016. A few months ago i ended up getting more miles per 90% charge, maybe they readjusted my profile, since my 90% used to be 215 and now is up to 225. The adjustment may have been related to my usage pattern, but i have no idea. I think maybe some of the miles you are missing, they gave them to me...

Are you sure it is rated range and not ideal range?
The loss of range issue has become quite heated with over 1/4 million views on the subject:
Sudden Loss Of Range With 2019.16.x Software

 

[larmor]

Are you sure it is rated range and not ideal range?
The loss of range issue has become quite heated with over 1/4 million views on the subject:
Sudden Loss Of Range With 2019.16.x Software

Yes, i have never used ideal range. And thanks to those who contributed to my miles. Presumably it is better understanding of my battery from its data, which allows charging on a daily or once every two to three days to a higher level. If i really ran it down to 20 miles or less, i'm now fairly certain i can get up to 230 miles for the "90%" range, which i put in quotes, because it is probably not 90%.

 

[bmah]

Moderator note: Moved a handful of clearly off-topic posts to Politics Quarantine.

Bruce.

 

[JayCee]

You’re overconfident and unfortunately completely wrong. The #1 vehicular injury is neck injuries. It gets much more grim for younger children. So as long as you can keep them rear facing, it’s far safer. Yes there are accidents that can kill them, but don’t be fooled, you can get killed in any place in the vehicle. To my knowledge, no one has been killed in the rear facing seat, but that may be attributed in part to the more cautious and situationally aware driver. My wife and I looked at A LOT of data before concluding that the Model S is a safer seating arrangement for young children than the X. So no, it’s not a gimmick. We love ours and the return of the rear facing seats is very much welcome!

As for ventilation, I got a dark ceramic tint that fixed the issue (aiming rear vents helps too). My children rarely complain of being too hot (unless I’m hot too). In addition, the car is 20°C cooler when left in the sun — even more with a windshield sunshade.

FYI-It happens, but it's rare. Rare fatal accident in a Tesla Model S rear-ended by a large SUV in California - Electrek

 

[skrenes]

FYI-It happens, but it's rare. Rare fatal accident in a Tesla Model S rear-ended by a large SUV in California - Electrek

Yeah, I saw that story when it was fresh news. They weren't in the rear facing seats, they were in the middle row. That's why I said:

Yes there are accidents that can kill them, but don’t be fooled, you can get killed in any place in the vehicle. To my knowledge, no one has been killed in the rear facing seat, but that may be attributed in part to the more cautious and situationally aware driver.

The vehicles with the rear-facing seats have an extruded aluminum bumper that could have possibly stopped the SUV from riding up the vehicle. I doubt it, but it's a possibility. Still, technically to my knowledge I haven't heard of anyone being killed in the rear facing seats. Not saying that there haven't been Tesla accidents that would have caused death in that seat position, but to state just how good the track record has been as a matter of fact.

As a note, I also have the eco-hitch tow bar, which adds steel reinforcement across the back. So it's even stiffer, though it'll come at the cost of a worse neck injury for forward facing passengers. But I'm okay with that risk to reduce the chance of ingress on my children.

 

[afadeev]

Still, technically to my knowledge I haven't heard of anyone being killed in the rear facing seats. Not saying that there haven't been Tesla accidents that would have caused death in that seat position, but to state just how good the track record has been as a matter of fact.

Actually, just because you do NOT know something, drawing conclusion from that lack of knowledge doesn't make it a matter of fact. Rather, it's a matter of unsubstantiated conjecture and wishful thinking.

a plaid launch and kids in rear facing seats will need wiper on inside of rear glass ... just sayin

Neah, kids will lick it clean, or the opposite of clean.
But they will lick in nonetheless...

But I'm okay with that risk to reduce the chance of ingress on my children.

I would not put any passengers in a car seat that shares legroom with (rear) trunk's crush zones.
Kids or adults.

On the other hand, it's a free country, and you can certainly choose to do just that.
I will let Darwin take care of the selection process ...

 

[skrenes]

Actually, just because you do NOT know something, drawing conclusion from that lack of knowledge doesn't make it a matter of fact. Rather, it's a matter of unsubstantiated conjecture and wishful thinking.

Instead of being pedantic, why not prove me wrong. I've already caveated my statements and you've provided no evidence to the contrary. So who's unsubstantiated?

I would not put any passengers in a car seat that shares legroom with (rear) trunk's crush zones.
Kids or adults.

On the other hand, it's a free country, and you can certainly choose to do just that.
I will let Darwin take care of the selection process ...

How lofty of you. Your sincerity is charming.

 

[Watts_Up]

I would not put any passengers in a car seat that shares legroom with (rear) trunk's crush zones. Kids or adults.

I always been puzzled if the first generation of Toyota Rav4 3-doors were NHTSA certified?
Considering that there was no crush zone between the rear passengers seat and the rear bumper?

 

[Vinc]

I always been puzzled if the first generation of Toyota Rav4 3-doors were NHTSA certified?
Considering that there was no crush zone between the rear passengers seat and the rear bumper?

I was also worried about this, and I went so far as to ask the NIHS about the safety of those MS seats (attaching a very scary picture of a rear ended MS). I posted their entire email response in some other thread, but the essence of it was that yes, they don't look super safe for highway speed rear endings, but those accidents are so unusual that they don't test for it. Or anybody, for that matter. Actually, there is zero data regarding safety of third row seats for rear impacts in general.

So it is kind of like boarding a plane. Chances of anything happening are small, but if it does...

 

[CraZ8]

My thoughts exactly. Most accidents involve a car running into something. A rear facing seat allows for absorption of g forces into the seat and far away from the crash zone. Probably far outweighs the possibility of a high speed rear end 100 to one

 

[tps5352]

...a new version of the Model S sedan will go into production in October or November of 2020...

Your posted exchanges in this Thread got me thinking, and I have a question. However, though related to the "Plaid" version, it has nothing to do with seating, so I placed it here:

New Model S "Plaid" Version Release in 2020