Tesla has updated the EPA range for the Model S, Model X, and Model Y due to changes in the EPA process. When determining vehicle range, the manufacturer must now test the vehicle in all acceleration modes and ride heights and then take the average of those ranges.
This has caused the range for various Tesla models to change, mostly resulting in lower estimates. However, the range reductions are merely a result of EPA testing requirements and are not related to changes in these vehicles.
Efficiency Refinements
The Model S, Tesla's longstanding flagship, has seen range adjustments. While the Long Range variant maintains its 405-mile range, the Model S Plaid experiences a reduction to 359 miles from 396 miles. Tesla also adjusts the range for different wheels, with the Model S Plaid with 21” wheels having a new range estimate of 320 miles, down from 348.
Like the Model S, the Model X also saw some reductions in its EPA-rated range. The Model X Long Range now offers a 335-mile range, down from 348 miles, and the Plaid variant is reduced to 326 miles from 333 miles.
The most significant changes come to the Model Y. The Model Y Long Range range is down to 310 miles (from 330 miles) and the Performance model to 285 miles (from 303 miles), while the rear-wheel drive variant remains steady at 260 miles.
The changes are only due to the EPA testing cycle in the U.S. (and possibly soon Canada), but will not affect the range in other countries. Given that it’s often hard to match Tesla’s previous EPA estimates, these changes should result in more realistic, real-world numbers, giving owners a better expectation of the range of their new vehicles.
2023 EPA Rating
2024 EPA Rating
Model S Long Range
405 mi
405 mi
Model S Plaid
396 mi
359 mi
Model X Long Range
348 mi
335 mi
Model X Plaid
333 mi
326 mi
Model Y RWD
260 mi
260 mi
Model Y Long Range
330 mi
310 mi
Model Y Performance
303 mi
285 mi
Model Y in Stealth Grey and Ultra Red
Tesla has also introduced two captivating color options for the Model Y, Stealth Grey and Ultra Red. Stealth Grey, a color first seen on the Model S and Model X in October 2023, is now available at no additional cost. Ultra Red, equivalent to "Flame Red" offered in China, was introduced in March last year and is now available for an additional $2,000.
Below, you can view the new colors and how they compare to the color they’re replacing on the Model Y.
Model Y color comparison: Old Midnight Silver Metallic vs new Stealth Gray (darker one).
This is the first new color the Model Y has gotten in the U.S. since the car launched nearly 4 years ago. Which color do you prefer? pic.twitter.com/d69A2WDfUf
For those waiting for Midnight Silver and Midnight Cherry Red, it looks like you’re out of luck. The beautiful colors are only available at Giga Berlin and haven’t crossed the ocean yet. These new colors, especially the striking Ultra Red, are expected to enhance the appeal of the Model Y further, already the top-selling EV in the world.
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In just 8 months, Tesla has gone from breaking ground to delivering electrons at its most ambitious Supercharger project to date, just in time to be ready for the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend. Project Oasis, the world’s largest Supercharger site, is now partially open to customers for its first phase in Lost Hills, California.
What makes this remarkable is the speed of execution. In just eight months, Tesla has constructed a site that will eventually feature 168 stalls (84 stalls are now open), supported by 11 MW of solar power and 10 Megapacks of battery storage. That construction speed is pretty impressive, but what is even more impressive is how this new station operates and what it means for future Supercharging infrastructure.
Self-Sufficient Energy Oasis
Not a Tesla App
The first 84 stalls at Lost Hills are now open, and according to the Tesla Charging team, they are currently powered solely by the sun and operate off-grid.
This makes it more than just a new Supercharger site. It serves as a proof of concept for a new type of Supercharger. Unlike nearly every other charging site in the world, which draws power from local utilities, this station generates its own clean electricity from its massive solar array and stores it in its array of on-site Megapacks.
Self-sufficient charging stations are something completely different than what we see today. They are highly resilient since they’re not reliant on the grid. That means that even if there is a local power outage, brownout, or blackout, one can always come to Lost Hills to Supercharge.
If you’ve got a Cybertruck, you could take advantage of the Cybertruck’s Powershare feature and charge up at Lost Hills to help keep your home powered during a blackout, utilizing the Cybertruck as a portable battery charger. Now that’s true independence and self-reliance.
The Future of Charging
Solar-powered Superchargers help avoid massive new loads on already stressed electrical grids, especially during peak afternoon and evening hours, when demand is the highest.
This is Tesla’s vision for the future of charging: a clean, fully closed-loop ecosystem that sustains itself. The sun’s energy is captured, stored, and delivered directly to vehicles on site at any time of day without relying on the electrical grid or fossil fuels.
Largest Supercharger in the World
This opening of 84 stalls is just the first phase of the project. Tesla says that the remaining stalls, as well as a new on-site lounge, are coming later this year. Once complete, the 168-stall site will be the largest Supercharger site in the world.
While the speed of building such a massive project in just eight months is a testament to Tesla’s execution, the true innovation is actually that self-sustainability. Let’s hope we see even more large, self-sufficient Supercharger sites across the world in the near future.
Elon Musk is once again seeking to expand Tesla’s vertical integration in the energy sector, this time focusing squarely on solar power. Following discussions on X that highlighted the massive gap in solar deployments between the US and China, Elon is now discussing the need for a Tesla Solar Gigafactory in the United States.
This potential move is driven by a specific catalyst: the exponential growth of AI is creating an insatiable demand for electricity. For Tesla and xAI, two of Elon’s companies betting their future on AI, building the power generation required is a strategic necessity.
A new factory wouldn’t just be about making panels; it would be about manufacturing the final missing piece in Tesla’s vertically integrated energy ecosystem.
Maybe there should be a solar Gigafactory in America
The context for this renewed focus is pretty stark. In May, China reportedly added a staggering 93 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity. In contrast, the United States installed approximately 14 GW over the entire first quarter, roughly 20 times less than China.
The primary driver of this demand is the revolution in AI. Training ever-larger and smarter AI models involves operating vast data centers, which consume staggering amounts of power. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have turned to small-scale nuclear reactors, with Microsoft petitioning to reopen the infamous Three Mile Island for its AI operations.
For Elon’s companies, whose future products like FSD, Optimus, and Grok are built on a foundation of real-world AI, securing a massive and sustainable energy supply isn’t a side quest. It is part of the main mission, especially in conjunction with grid-scale storage, such as Megapacks and Powerwalls. You can’t power a world of autonomous robots without a world of abundant, clean energy.
The Tesla Ecosystem
A US solar gigafactory would be the final, logical step in completing Tesla’s energy hardware ecosystem. While Tesla already manufactures some solar panels and the Tesla solar roof, the scale is too minuscule to matter.
By mass-producing its own panels, while also increasing Solar Roof production, Tesla would become a true one-stop shop for all things green energy. This would allow the company to supply its own large-scale projects, like the massive solar array for Project Oasis - the world’s largest Supercharger site.
It would also enable more complete residential packages, like the Giga-Small Haus concept home, combining Tesla-made panels and roofs with a Powerwall 3. This level of vertical integration would give Tesla complete control over the technology, cost, and supply of every major component in its energy ecosystem, from generation to storage to mobility.
Building a new Solar Gigafactory is about much more than just simply producing solar panels. It’s a requirement to power Tesla’s future products and make solar panels accessible to everyone.
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