Tesla has introduced a new-entry level version of its Model S.
The new Model S 70D replaces the S 60 as the starting point for Tesla ownership.
The 70D has several improvements over the 60S. The 70D has a further 60 miles of range, is more than half-a-second faster to 60mph and has a top speed of 140mph, 20mph greater than the S 60. It is also has two motors, making it four-wheel drive, leaving only the single-motor 85 model as a two-wheel drive option. The new model is also capable of hooking up to roadside Superchargers as standard and has adaptive cruise control and sat-nav as standard; these were all cost options on the S 60.
The addition of this extra kit does nudge up the entry point pricing for prospective Tesla owners, however. The 70D starts at £54,500 - some £4,220 dearer than the model it replaces, once the government grant for plug-in cars is taken into account.
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I live in northern Canada
madmac wrote: I live in
Totally useless? So the only journeys you take by car are over 200 miles each? You never drive anywhere but to the "nearest major city"? Surely you'd fly that sort of distance rather than driving?
Presumably you have the figures to demonstrate that that's worse than refining crude oil to petrol and then transporting that petrol all the way to Yellowknife or wherever you live?
It's trivially easy to come up with a rare usage scenario that demonstrates the "uselessness" of any vehicle, but I don't see any merit in this sort of misery-Olympics.
Resale value?
IRT AHA1
Regarding battery updates, you can actually upgrade the battery pack in a Model S right now (if you bought a 60kWh model and want an 85kWh, for example), but it doesn't come cheap - $18,000. They do continually provide upgrades for the older cars as battery technology improves - they're already doing it for the defunct Roadster (look for articles on the Tesla Roadster 3.0 upgrade), the tech's designed to be interchangable.
Regarding depreciation, it's hard to say. Looking at the cars for sale on the Dupont Registry in the US, they seem to be losing around 12% of retail price over the course of 2 years. Can't really assess the UK market yet, hardly any cars have been put up for resale so far, and they're listing on Autotrader for more-or-less retail price.
There will always be those