[Rumor] Tesla Model S Facelift in 2016 !

[ArtInCT]

but now its back up to 2 months! rar!

Yes, as of yesterday, the Delivery Time shown on the Design Studio for the Model S is now Late February. It progressed from Late December through January and now Late February really quickly.
I also noticed that a lot of the Right Hand Drive cars which were on order in the Jan-March order tracking spreadsheet had VINs assigned and began production in the last week. So Tesla is getting the cars with the longest delivery routes made early for Q1 2016 revenue.

My car is scheduled for Late March early April (my own request) and I suspect it will start production in late Jan or early February.

Regarding this thread... I do feel that something is UP with the seats.... the regular leather seats are now totally removed from the Design Studio.
Base textile in Black or the Next Gens are the seating on the S.
Perhaps we shall see something new in the seating area in 2016.

Personally, I think that all attention and resources are focused upon the X ramp and fine tuning that model's production. TM has quite a backlog of
X orders to satisfy and does not need any self inducted static with the production flow at this time and for the next months.
However, we can hope that Tesla has learned from the Next Gen rollout that they should NOT offer an option that the suppliers cannot deliver upon.

 

[luvnMyTS]

I spoke to the service center, they said the regular leather seats were in such low demand that to simplify production, they were just going to discontinue them. Obviously doing so based on what they already had built and in stock. Black being the most popular color, they probably had a bunch of those built and ready for install. They discontinued the less popular Tan and Grey colors a couple of months ago, likely since they ran out of stock. Looks like the black has finally run out as well. No new seats coming, just simplifying the production with a single leather seat option. Not sure about the textile seats, if they'll eventually start offering those only in Next Gen style seats as well. Would seem to make sense since the standard and Next Gen seats are from two different companies.

As far as delivery times being pushed out till February, they're just back to their "normal" turnaround time. Doesn't mean anything. They wanted to pad their 2015 sales numbers, likely so that could reach their 52,000 yearly projection so as to not panic stockholders. Based on only 18 Model X's being delivered today, they put those on the backburner to get as many cars on the books in 2015 as possible. Now that the time has passed to get any more new orders out this year, they'll have to start focusing on filling all the Model X orders. The factory is only so big and both cars will be on the same production line. So they have to do a batch of one, change the equipment around, then do a batch of the other. They're probably going to take at least a full month producing only Model X's.

My dad ordered his car on December 8th and it was in Transit to the service center SEVEN DAYS LATER!!! He picks it up on Monday. So we now know, it only takes 7 days to build a Model S, at most. Sounds like god and the earth!! LOL.

I did the math based on my VIN and my dad's VIN, they're building about 1,000 cars per week. So they're probably going to wait for X number of Model S orders to be on the books before starting to produce those again. Probably the end of January they'll make the switch and just focus on Model X's until then.

Point being, the longer deliver times is a production issue within the same factory and production line. Has nothing to do with possible new design changes to the Model S. The car is still ONLY 3 years old. They've got their hands full with the Model X and designing the Model 3. The Model S is last on the list right now for any "major" changes. If a new body design of some sort (Model X inspired nose, for example), someone would have seen some camouflaged Model S cars running around by now and would have posted videos or photos somewhere, as they did with the Model X. No such photos or videos exist that I'm aware of.

Next change won't be until after the Model 3 is complete in a couple of years. Next change to the Model S will likely be related to new Auto Pilot hardware.

 

[smac]

We have Autopilot. We have a 2.8 second car. The only things left are a redesign and increased battery capacity as demand levers.

The increased capacity came with the 90

 

[R.S]

I am not sure how much difference there is between the X seats and the S next Gen, but I am sure they just want one seat option. And I think the body will change, too. Just slightly, but noticeable. The S is till a beautiful car, but there are almost 100k S owners, they won't buy new cars until something changes. Now we could wait for drivetrain or battery changes, wich will happen eventually. But I think they are developing new motors and batteries for the 3 and delivering a "in between" solution is always expensive. so they could ether, run the S unchanged for the next 2 years, or they could make some minor changes and attract some of the old customers to buy the old car, in a refreshed style. And the changes will be so minor, that they don't need extensive testing. Things like new headlamps or a new front, even the back wing, can be tested in the own facilities. There will be no changes to the suspension, car weight, physical size, or anything that would make a difference in every day driving. Even a wing like the X has, is something tested in a wind tunnel, not in the field.

 

[gsxdsm]

I spoke to the service center, they said the regular leather seats were in such low demand that to simplify production, they were just going to discontinue them. Obviously doing so based on what they already had built and in stock. Black being the most popular color, they probably had a bunch of those built and ready for install. They discontinued the less popular Tan and Grey colors a couple of months ago, likely since they ran out of stock. Looks like the black has finally run out as well. No new seats coming, just simplifying the production with a single leather seat option. Not sure about the textile seats, if they'll eventually start offering those only in Next Gen style seats as well. Would seem to make sense since the standard and Next Gen seats are from two different companies.

As far as delivery times being pushed out till February, they're just back to their "normal" turnaround time. Doesn't mean anything. They wanted to pad their 2015 sales numbers, likely so that could reach their 52,000 yearly projection so as to not panic stockholders. Based on only 18 Model X's being delivered today, they put those on the backburner to get as many cars on the books in 2015 as possible. Now that the time has passed to get any more new orders out this year, they'll have to start focusing on filling all the Model X orders. The factory is only so big and both cars will be on the same production line. So they have to do a batch of one, change the equipment around, then do a batch of the other. They're probably going to take at least a full month producing only Model X's.

My dad ordered his car on December 8th and it was in Transit to the service center SEVEN DAYS LATER!!! He picks it up on Monday. So we now know, it only takes 7 days to build a Model S, at most. Sounds like god and the earth!! LOL.

I did the math based on my VIN and my dad's VIN, they're building about 1,000 cars per week. So they're probably going to wait for X number of Model S orders to be on the books before starting to produce those again. Probably the end of January they'll make the switch and just focus on Model X's until then.

Point being, the longer deliver times is a production issue within the same factory and production line. Has nothing to do with possible new design changes to the Model S. The car is still ONLY 3 years old. They've got their hands full with the Model X and designing the Model 3. The Model S is last on the list right now for any "major" changes. If a new body design of some sort (Model X inspired nose, for example), someone would have seen some camouflaged Model S cars running around by now and would have posted videos or photos somewhere, as they did with the Model X. No such photos or videos exist that I'm aware of.

Next change won't be until after the Model 3 is complete in a couple of years. Next change to the Model S will likely be related to new Auto Pilot hardware.

A Model X nose wouldn't require a full mule-setup that you see in most spy shots. I imagine they wouldn't need to "road test" such a minor change.

 

[WMAC]

I'm pretty sure car interior in the future will be more like the S than other cars above. Just take a look at even the Mecedes' own F 015 self driving demo car.

SpaceX Dragon cockpit:

 

[Andyw2100]

The S is till a beautiful car, but there are almost 100k S owners, they won't buy new cars until something changes. Now we could wait for drivetrain or battery changes, wich will happen eventually. But I think they are developing new motors and batteries for the 3 and delivering a "in between" solution is always expensive. so they could ether, run the S unchanged for the next 2 years, or they could make some minor changes and attract some of the old customers to buy the old car, in a refreshed style. And the changes will be so minor, that they don't need extensive testing. Things like new headlamps or a new front, even the back wing, can be tested in the own facilities.

You believe changing the front of the S to make it more X-like would get current S owners to buy a new S sooner? I think you may be mistaken. Personally, if Tesla were to change the S nosecone to make the front of the S look like the front of the X the result would be that I'd wind up keeping my S longer than I otherwise might have.

 

[WarpedOne]

Indeed, current S owners are not and should not be tesla's target market.
They are and should be focused on bringing in new customers. An unchanged S will do better than a changed one for some time to come.

That being said, has anyone seen a mockup of S with X's front end? Pure academic interest

 

[mhpr262]

That being said, has anyone seen a mockup of S with X's front end? Pure academic interest

Yes, I have seen two such mock ups so far, including the X headlights. It looked very good.

 

[smac]

Indeed, current S owners are not and should not be Tesla's target market.

Of course existing owners should be a target! Getting new customers is more expensive than "farming" your existing base, and I'm sure it's not by accident that many signatures here on TMC reflect Tesla's success in getting people to bring forward plans for replacement as the PD cars came out. (I know a couple of people personally fully intent on keeping the car for 3 years, but chopped in at significant expense to make sure they still had the top of the line)

Prospective upgraders also represent a higher conversion rate segment, if for no other reason than virtue of already being a Tesla owner they are already self selected. Tesla have an enviable repurchase rating (97% IIRC) and it would be mad not to leverage that in a market where there is still zero direct competition.

I'm sure they will get many more new customers with the X, after all it's aimed at a different segment, and one which is much larger in terms of volumes. They will also no doubt gain custom as they have effectively brought down the price of entry with the S70, which is better value than the old S60 by the time you added tech pack and Supercharging.

So it will be a two pronged approach. Bring something appealing to a new prospective client base, whilst also keeping the product fresh to entice people on the RVGP scheme to trade up and not hold out for changes. (RVGP started just under 3 years ago, so the ability to exercise the option is just round the corner, and again to my mind would lead credence to some form of refresh.)

 

[wdolson]

Yes, as of yesterday, the Delivery Time shown on the Design Studio for the Model S is now Late February. It progressed from Late December through January and now Late February really quickly.
I also noticed that a lot of the Right Hand Drive cars which were on order in the Jan-March order tracking spreadsheet had VINs assigned and began production in the last week. So Tesla is getting the cars with the longest delivery routes made early for Q1 2016 revenue.

My car is scheduled for Late March early April (my own request) and I suspect it will start production in late Jan or early February.

Regarding this thread... I do feel that something is UP with the seats.... the regular leather seats are now totally removed from the Design Studio.
Base textile in Black or the Next Gens are the seating on the S.
Perhaps we shall see something new in the seating area in 2016.

Personally, I think that all attention and resources are focused upon the X ramp and fine tuning that model's production. TM has quite a backlog of
X orders to satisfy and does not need any self inducted static with the production flow at this time and for the next months.
However, we can hope that Tesla has learned from the Next Gen rollout that they should NOT offer an option that the suppliers cannot deliver upon.

A couple of months ago I put in a feature request with Tesla for cloth next gen seats and got a call a couple of days later. The Tesla rep said that there had been other requests for cloth next gen seats and seemed to indicate they might be coming. It would simplify Tesla's supply chain if they just offered the next gen seats with a leather or cloth option. The way the seat options have been narrowing over the last couple of months, I have a feeling they may make that change here soon.

I don't expect any significant changes to the Model S for at least a year. The Model X is going through production ramp up and the Model 3 is the highest engineering priority. If there are any changes to the Model S, I expect them to either be production simplifications (like only offering next gen seats) and possibly something from the Model X that can just be bolted on with no engineering. That's essentially what they did with the 90 KWh battery pack last year, that was developed for the Model X and was offered on the Model S as an upgrade because it was simple to add.

 

[ArtInCT]

A couple of months ago I put in a feature request with Tesla for cloth next gen seats and got a call a couple of days later. The Tesla rep said that there had been other requests for cloth next gen seats and seemed to indicate they might be coming. It would simplify Tesla's supply chain if they just offered the next gen seats with a leather or cloth option. The way the seat options have been narrowing over the last couple of months, I have a feeling they may make that change here soon.

I don't expect any significant changes to the Model S for at least a year. The Model X is going through production ramp up and the Model 3 is the highest engineering priority. If there are any changes to the Model S, I expect them to either be production simplifications (like only offering next gen seats) and possibly something from the Model X that can just be bolted on with no engineering. That's essentially what they did with the 90 KWh battery pack last year, that was developed for the Model X and was offered on the Model S as an upgrade because it was simple to add.

Nice that you did get a call back on that suggestion. If we keep your premise alive... then perhaps we shall see the end of the 85KWh battery pack when the cells used in the 90KWh pack are readily available and those used in the 85KWh pack become less available.

I can also see some of the wood interior trim choices of the X come over to the S. Again small items that are in the pipeline and from suppliers whom have a good record of supply.

I can see how cloth Next Gens would be attractive in the hotter climates.... or for those who desire cloth over leather.

 

[Super_Popular]

I hope that they do not change the front of the S to resemble the X.

 

[FloridaGary]

You believe changing the front of the S to make it more X-like would get current S owners to buy a new S sooner? I think you may be mistaken. Personally, if Tesla were to change the S nosecone to make the front of the S look like the front of the X the result would be that I'd wind up keeping my S longer than I otherwise might have.

I agree. I think S owners would be modifying their nosecones if they looked like the X. I think the X nosecone is the only weak part of the overall design.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

The increased capacity came with the 90

That's not the increased capacity I was referring to. The writing is on the wall for the discontinuation of the 85 and the introduction of a 100-110 pack. That would make a 70-90-100(-110) lineup. I would expect this within the next 6-12 months. It's just another way to milk the existing ownership base and keep the CPO business going. All good things.

 

[MsElectric]

Strange people are holding onto the concept of the Model S nosecone when we all know it was a redundant appended tacked on to the Model S to make it blend in better with ICE cars and that requirement is no longer necessary as Tesla has proven their electric cars are superior to their ICE counterparts and there is no need to tack on a piece of plastic to make the car look like a soon to be antiquated gasoline powered car.

I for one love the clean and modern look of the Model X front and I bet many of those complaining about it will come around to liking the look of new Model S design/facelift without a pointless faux grill appendage tacked on to the car for no reason.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Strange people are holding onto the concept of the Model S nosecone when we all know it was a redundant appended tacked on to the Model S to make it blend in better with ICE cars and that requirement is no longer necessary as Tesla has proven their electric cars are superior to their ICE counterparts and there is no need to tack on a piece of plastic to make the car look like a soon to be antiquated gasoline powered car.

I for one love the clean and modern look of the Model X front and I bet many of those complaining about it will come around to liking the look of new Model S design/facelift without a pointless faux grill appendage tacked on to the car for no reason.

It's not strange. ICEVs don't need their grilles to be as large as many of them are. It's hard to shake cultural associations.

 

[omarsultan]

Don't see any kind of major revision to the Model S--company officials have stated its all-hands on the Model 3. I don't see them committing resources to anything substantial like new sheetmetal or the like. I think the the front end of the Model 3 will be for like the Model X than the Model S (move fwd not backward) so maybe a new nosecone to unify the look of the three models.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

The black nose of the Model S is by far its least attractive feature. The Model X nose is clean, sophisticated, and modern without a faux and vestigial ICE-like nose. I would love for Tesla to unify the front look of Model S with the Model X. It only makes sense and is not something that would take away from Model 3. All of the rolling improvements to Model S over the last two years hasn't taken away from the Model X, and those rolling improvements will continue. One day a new nose cone will show up and that will be that.

 

[WarpedOne]

The Model X nose is clean, sophisticated, and modern without a faux and vestigial ICE-like nose.

To my deepest existential horror X front is growing onto me.
At first I saw multitudes of strange faces in those lines, now I just see a car that looks like a car. Nothing redundant there.