Tesla Cuts Prices Of Model S And Model X With New Standard Range Trim

Tesla introduces a new entry-level model on the Model X and Model S.

About a week ago, Lucid made news by dramatically cutting prices of its well-loved Air sedan.. Well, it seems that Tesla has readied a response – the Tesla Model X and Tesla Model S have had substantial price cuts in the form of a new base model. This is the second price cut of the Model S and Model X this year.

The new base model, now dubbed the standard range, drops the price of the Model S and Model X by $10,000. Now, the Model X will start at $89,880, and the Model S will start at $79,880, undercutting the Lucid Air.

However, this new price model isn’t without cost. The cheaper Model S and Model X have less range. The Model S is only rated for 320 miles instead of 405, and the Model X only can do 269 miles compared to the 348 of the higher-range model. According to Electrek, there’s no physical difference between the standard range battery pack, and the upgraded model. Rather, there’s a software lock that limits the Model S and Model X to a lower capacity. This could mean that standard range Model S and Model X buyers could pay to upgrade at a later date.

Although this new price now gives the pricing edge back to the Model S as far as big EV sedans go, the Model S’s 320-mile range is well short of the base Lucid Air Pure’s 418-mile range. The Lucid Air’s new $82,400 base price is competitive, and things could potentially drop further when the cheapest Lucid Air Pure RWD (single motor) eventually makes its way to the market. The Lucid Air is a new design, whereas the Model S’s basic structure isn’t all that different from what was introduced in 2013. Whatever the case, competition is heating up in the big EV sedan market.

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