Tesla partially confirmed a recent rumor by announcing the new Long Range Plus versions of the Model S and the Model X are capable of driving further on a single charge than the variants they replace. Owners of compatible cars will receive the upgrade for free via an over-the-air software update the company pledged to unlock soon.
Posting on his official Twitter account, company co-founder and CEO Elon Musk announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives the Model S Long Range Plus a 390-mile range, while the Model X Long Range Plus earns a 351-mile rating. These figures represent useful increases of 17 and 23 miles, respectively. Asked how Tesla achieved this, Musk explained the automaker’s engineering department made “many small hardware improvements throughout the car that have been introduced gradually over the past several months.”
Tesla Model S estimated EPA range is now above 390 miles or ~630 km https://t.co/sNFzIkuJpC
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 15, 2020
The updates give the Model S more range than any other electric car available new in the United States; the Model X takes second place, and third place goes to the Model 3 Long Range, which offers up to 322 miles of driving range. Notice a pattern here? Tesla started developing modern electric cars before most of its main rivals, and it’s reaping the rewards of its head start. The announcement comes as questions hover around the Porsche Taycan’s range.
But while giving owners more range for free with a quick software update is a clever and innovative move, it’s worth noting the changes only apply to cars “made in recent months,” according to Musk, and the executive didn’t respond to Twitter users who asked him to define that time frame. Motorists who purchased a Model S or a Model X right before the cutoff date won’t be pleased, because the announcement wasn’t made public until February 14.
The only other notable change announced is a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels named Tempest designed for the Model S. The existing Performance variants of the S and the X carry on unchanged, meaning their maximum driving range checks in at 348 and 305 miles, respectively. The rumors of a redesigned interior with a Model 3-like touchscreen haven’t materialized yet, but Tesla finally added a wireless device charger to both cars.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.
Missing out on the self-driving future is a tough pill to swallow, especially as a car enthusiast. But that is what Tesla handed us on Wednesday, without a hint of mercy.
During its October 21, 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk told investors the Cybercab is meant mainly as a ride service. Further, nearly all of them will be owned and managed by Tesla.