There's been a lot of yammering about how "stale" the Model S is, in particular, and "in dire need of a refresh", and people asking on the forum whether they should buy one now or wait for the refresh that everyone seems to imagine must be coming soon.
I think Tesla have the right idea, sticking with a program of continual improvements and refinements rather than an "all new" model on a new platform. I don't think there's going to be a second generation S on a new platform any time soon. I won't say never, but there's a lot of logic behind keeping the current platform going for as long as possible. (And much of my thoughts on this could apply to the X as well, and even other Tesla models in the long run.)
The Model S is on its third complete suspension setup. Anecdotally, I gather they've gone through about five revisions of door handles. Remember all those failed door handles? Yeah, that doesn't seem to happen anymore with the new cars. Yellowing screens? Fixed. Failing SSDs? Supposedly fixed, we'll see. I'm not sure how many revisions of battery packs they've gone through, but it's quite a few.
And it occurs to me that if Tesla keep this up, and continue analyzing their failures and methodically improving parts of the car over time, they could eventually achieve something that no other car company even wants to do: They could make the most long-term reliable car in the world!
Other car companies have a lot of incentives not to do this. They have parts supply chains that are profit centers. They have armies of franchised dealerships that depend on revenues from repair and maintenance. And ultimately, they do want their cars to wear out and become unsustainable. Because then somebody, somewhere, has to go out and buy a new car. Ka-ching!
Tesla is different. They don't have franchised dealerships, and they made a strategic decision that their service centers are not profit centers for the company. In the long run, they want to be in the Robo Taxi business, which means failed cars will only cost them money in downtime and repairs. This is what the push for a million-mile battery is about, too.
That doesn't mean the S & X can't get stylistic refreshes, inside and out, and new features. Maybe they will, maybe soon. My argument is just that I expect it to all be evolutionary, not a sudden break with the past and an "all new" S on a new platform. As always, Tesla are doing their own thing in their own way without regard for the conventions of the rest of the car industry.
I think Tesla have the right idea, sticking with a program of continual improvements and refinements rather than an "all new" model on a new platform. I don't think there's going to be a second generation S on a new platform any time soon. I won't say never, but there's a lot of logic behind keeping the current platform going for as long as possible. (And much of my thoughts on this could apply to the X as well, and even other Tesla models in the long run.)
The Model S is on its third complete suspension setup. Anecdotally, I gather they've gone through about five revisions of door handles. Remember all those failed door handles? Yeah, that doesn't seem to happen anymore with the new cars. Yellowing screens? Fixed. Failing SSDs? Supposedly fixed, we'll see. I'm not sure how many revisions of battery packs they've gone through, but it's quite a few.
And it occurs to me that if Tesla keep this up, and continue analyzing their failures and methodically improving parts of the car over time, they could eventually achieve something that no other car company even wants to do: They could make the most long-term reliable car in the world!
Other car companies have a lot of incentives not to do this. They have parts supply chains that are profit centers. They have armies of franchised dealerships that depend on revenues from repair and maintenance. And ultimately, they do want their cars to wear out and become unsustainable. Because then somebody, somewhere, has to go out and buy a new car. Ka-ching!
Tesla is different. They don't have franchised dealerships, and they made a strategic decision that their service centers are not profit centers for the company. In the long run, they want to be in the Robo Taxi business, which means failed cars will only cost them money in downtime and repairs. This is what the push for a million-mile battery is about, too.
That doesn't mean the S & X can't get stylistic refreshes, inside and out, and new features. Maybe they will, maybe soon. My argument is just that I expect it to all be evolutionary, not a sudden break with the past and an "all new" S on a new platform. As always, Tesla are doing their own thing in their own way without regard for the conventions of the rest of the car industry.