Some say that Tesla is currently in disarray because of many setbacks that became clearer in 2024 but were actually planted since Elon Musk lost track of his beloved EV company in favor of playing with the new Twitter toy.
Still, Tesla remains a beacon of sustainability in an industry that's not particularly fond of those who dislike burning dead dinosaurs. However, the perceived slowing demand for electric vehicles and the high inflation around the world put a strain on its operations – which are more than just about electric vehicles.
Sure, the batteries, the Gigafactories, the solar panels, and the Supercharger network are all important pieces of the machine – but people fell in love with Tesla for its (flawed yet marvelous) vehicles above all else. While the first Tesla car was the first-generation Roadster, that was just a Lotus Elise with batteries made in limited numbers.
In fact, the car that put Tesla on the market is the long-lived Model S executive car – a five-door liftback sedan produced with a rear motor and RWD, then a dual-motor AWD configuration since way back in 2012. Believe it or not, the Model S, with development beginning in 2007, is still on the market in its original form – it was just thoroughly upgraded throughout the years until today's form with AWD and Plaid models.
They're the best stuff the company has to offer – 402 miles of range and 130-mph top speed plus a 3.1-second 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time for the $73k Model S AWD and 359 miles of range, 200-mph top speed, 1.99-second sprint, and 1,020 horsepower for the soon-to-be-legendary Plaid. All for just $88k, by the way. Some people might still think the Tesla Model S is growing long in the tooth despite all these supercar-like characteristics.
Well, the Tesla Model S Plaid can still bring to racing school a brand-new Lamborghini Revuelto PHEV supercar like it's nothing, but those who say the executive EV sedan is a little tired in other departments might also be right in their own way. For example, people might want a fresher interior, new technology, and perhaps even a redesigned exterior.
No worries; the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always keen to help. For example, this virtual artist, known as Theottle on social media, has recently resorted to CGI slicing and dicing the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupes for an all-new Tesla Model S CGI template. He then 'clothed' the refreshed Model 3's exterior, complete with a different set of headlights and rear design. So, do you think that Tesla will go subtle like this pixel master or bold on the next Model S iteration?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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