What's the next big thing for Model S?

[docherf]

What is the next big hardware revision for the Model S? We knew the AP 2 coming for a while. Likewise with the 100 battery. The front bumper was redone a year ago. They added the front console & HEPA. The glass roof was a surprise to me.

Will there be any similar big hardware changes when we look back at the car a year from now?

The battery seems topped out for a while - until new gigafactory production.

Is LIDAR going to be added? I know they keep saying it's not, but it seems if it gets cheap and good enough, could add valuable data to the system at some point?

Will they revise the rest of the car? Newer body style? Fancier interior? HUD?

Is the MS at a point that it'll stay the same while they focus on M3?

I don't see anything obvious on the one year horizon, but maybe I'm missing something .

 

[No ICE]

I suspect there could be a major interior change, with the hiring of the Volvo's top interior designer, Anderson Bell. Usually a interior change is a safe way to extend interest in a long run exterior vehicle. If done right, it could carry the car design another several years. I also believe the hud will be part of this interior change as well as an more powerful center screen/CPU.
All just my speculation?

 

[JonG]

Can't see it being anything to do with lidar or other AP related stuff. That would be an own goal having said AP2 HW is good for self driving.

Battery - as you say 100 is just out. And Ludicrous+ too.

So it does point to body styling or interior. Body was done 6 months ago, so I'd go interior. Maybe also some of the X features like self presenting doors making it to the S.

 

[DIL]

Biggest room for improvement: Interior features as well as fit and finish. Will have to be far better than Model 3 to justify premium and keep Model S a class above. Special HUD likely too.

 

[Commuter]

Can't see it being anything to do with lidar or other AP related stuff. That would be an own goal having said AP2 HW is good for self driving.

Battery - as you say 100 is just out. And Ludicrous+ too.

So it does point to body styling or interior. Body was done 6 months ago, so I'd go interior. Maybe also some of the X features like self presenting doors making it to the S.

If self presenting doors come to the S, I would buy one tomorrow. I have grown to really enjoy them on my X and they are one of my favorite features.

I have been thinking of giving the X to my wife and getting the model 3 when it comes out, but if the S gets this feature I would probably get it instead to avoid the wait.

 

[docherf]

If self presenting doors come to the S, I would buy one tomorrow. I have grown to really enjoy them on my X and they are one of my favorite features.

I have been thinking of giving the X to my wife and getting the model 3 when it comes out, but if the S gets this feature I would probably get it instead to avoid the wait.

Interesting - I haven't had experience with the self presenting doors. I could see them being nice.

 

[docherf]

I'd like the interior being stepped up a level - it's still behind most other luxury cars in refinement.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Graphene 580 mile battery. http://pushevs.com/2016/12/27/tesla-superchargers-graphene-batteries/

 

[Burnt Toast]

I'd like the interior being stepped up a level - it's still behind most other luxury cars in refinement.

A lot of people say this and repeat this, but I don't think this is the case. I think a Tesla interior is certainly better than a new E class for example, which has been praised for its interior. The base E class has cheap hard leather seats which are inferior to the Model S Napa leather, it has a hard plastic Dashboard, (not even a pleather stitched dash board), all the roof options are superior on the Tesla, the headliner in an E class is not Alcantara, it's a polyester mesh, and they share all the same switch gear (buttons/stalks) and the standard. Eucyliptus wood is the same. It's not until you pay $20k extra on an E Class for the designo package, that the materials in an E Class are on par with a Model S. Here the Model S and the E class cost about the same (an S60D with autopilot and leather and nothing else is $150k, an E400 is $150k).

 

[Phoenixhawk101]

I believe the next major change (as in the thing that causes the bulk of the world to sit up and take notice) is Supercharger V3 comparability. The fact that Tesla is working on Ultrachargers that can charge a car in as little as 5 minutes isn't secret, but unless they have managed to hide some serious electronics in the cars already our current vehicles can't support that level of amperage.

My guess is that all V3 Ultrachargers will be able to ask the Tesla what model it is and adjust amperage accordingly, but only the newest cars will be equipped to handle the full power.

 

[jimmyjohn]

Four - wheel - steering
- Rear wheels, below a certain mph threshold, turn in opposite direction of front wheels
- Rear wheels, at / above a certain mph threshold, turn in same direction (albeit lower angle) of front wheels

Steering - Wikipedia
Four-wheel-steering set to be 'a commodity'

Steering - Wikipedia

 

[docherf]

Four - wheel - steering
- Rear wheels, below a certain mph threshold, turn in opposite direction of front wheels
- Rear wheels, at / above a certain mph threshold, turn in same direction (albeit lower angle) of front wheels

Steering - Wikipedia
Four-wheel-steering set to be 'a commodity'

Steering - Wikipedia

The MS feels heavy when on tight winding roads (maybe because it is). That'd be cool if the four wheel steering made it more nimble. I've never driven a car with it.

 

[Logan5]

I’m not sure I would consider this either a significant or imminent improvement to the car but I think Tesla might be interested in phasing out sun visors, particularly In cars with panaromic roofs. An example of how this might be done is to remove the visors and have visor shaped areas on the windshield automatically tint when the there is glare present.

 

[docherf]

I believe the next major change (as in the thing that causes the bulk of the world to sit up and take notice) is Supercharger V3 comparability. The fact that Tesla is working on Ultrachargers that can charge a car in as little as 5 minutes isn't secret, but unless they have managed to hide some serious electronics in the cars already our current vehicles can't support that level of amperage.

My guess is that all V3 Ultrachargers will be able to ask the Tesla what model it is and adjust amperage accordingly, but only the newest cars will be equipped to handle the full power.

I'd be happy if they could decrease the charge time by 50%. The stops on trips that I charge an hour are usually too much. But 5 minutes would be ideal.

 

[jimmyjohn]

The MS feels heavy when on tight winding roads (maybe because it is). That'd be cool if the four wheel steering made it more nimble. I've never driven a car with it.

A friend allowed me to drive her 1995 Honda Prelude 4WS (non-SI with 4 wheel steering) and it felt amazing - at speed - in corners. I think that version of 4WS was a much older iteration of the technology and that it is more advanced (lighter weight added to car) now.

 

[ecarfan]

What is the next big hardware revision for the Model S?

My prediction is the "spaceship" controls that Elon referred to in his April 3, 2016, tweet, quote:

"Wait until you see the real steering controls and system for the 3. It feels like a spaceship"

Whatever that is (we have had no further clues from Tesla as to what it will be) it will certainly be first offered on the S/X, either as a standard feature or an option, because Elon has made clear that the S/X will always get the latest and greatest new features before the Model 3 and other less expensive models. There is no way that Tesla would offer a cool new feature on the Model 3 before it is offered on the S/X.

A revised S interior does not strike me as a "big thing". It's trivial.

 

[Peteybabes]

If self presenting doors come to the S, I would buy one tomorrow. I have grown to really enjoy them on my X and they are one of my favorite features.

I have been thinking of giving the X to my wife and getting the model 3 when it comes out, but if the S gets this feature I would probably get it instead to avoid the wait.

after living with soft closing doors for the last 5 years or so in my last 2 Lexus LS's this would be sooo awesome..

 

[boonedocks]

+1 Peteybabes and -1 Burnt Toast
Our BMW 7Li (lower cost than my loaded Model S) is sooooo much more comfortable. Leathers and wood trim are way ahead of current Tesla models. Cooled massaging seats all around. At least 3X as many seat controls including the one that extends the seat front for longer legs. Head rest like a pillow. *SOFT CLOSING DOORS*. Other that guzzling gas LMAO and no AP that car is many x's more comfortable and better appointed AND cheaper than my 2015 Model S with every option except read kids seats but PLUS rear executive seats.

 

[artsci]

+1 Peteybabes and -1 Burnt Toast
Our BMW 7Li (lower cost than my loaded Model S) is sooooo much more comfortable. Leathers and wood trim are way ahead of current Tesla models. Cooled massaging seats all around. At least 3X as many seat controls including the one that extends the seat front for longer legs. Head rest like a pillow. *SOFT CLOSING DOORS*. Other that guzzling gas LMAO and no AP that car is many x's more comfortable and better appointed AND cheaper than my 2015 Model S with every option except read kids seats but PLUS rear executive seats.

IMHO, wood in cars is so old school -- it all goes back to when some manufacturers built the frames out of wood. Who would want that today? Same with wood steering wheels and wood trim. Why not do it out of marble?

 

[BestRadar]

How about they dont worry about future changes and fix all the damn issues they still have. I would love to have auto high beams and auto wipers and some of the simple things. I would also like to have headlights that work correctly and dont turn on during the day when not needed. How about adding real blind spot indicators in the mirrors where you are looking? Maybe even add a light in the sun visors.. There are a lot of little things they can do to get the car on the level that it should be for its cost.