Tesla's New Cheaper Model S And X Sacrifice More Than Just Range

Tesla is bringing back Standard Range versions of its popular Model X SUV and Model S sedan vehicles, offering a cheaper alternative to the base and souped-up versions of the vehicles. Tesla's store page notes that the Standard Range variants of the Model X and Model S are $10,000 cheaper than their base counterpart. The Model X Standard Range can be picked for $88,490, while the new lowest-tier Model S retails for $78,490.

These cheaper variants expectedly have significant downgrades compared to the base versions. Notably, both of them feature shorter ranges: The Model X Standard Range takes the vehicle from having 348 miles of range to 269. Similarly, the Model S Standard Range variant has an almost 100-mile reduction in range, going from 405 to 320 miles.

Not only are the ranges shorter, but these less pricey alternatives are slower, too. Although the top speed is unaffected, the Model X Standard Range variant achieves 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, which is .6 seconds slower than the base version. Likewise, the Model S Standard Range variant can hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, making it a downgrade from the base version's 3.1 seconds.

Following Tesla's quiet release of these new variants, questions among the EV community started to pop up, with many wondering why these variants are so limited.

Tesla confirmed to Electrek that Standard Range vehicles are implemented with software that limits their range and speed. Based on the specs listed on the Tesla website detailing the same weight numbers for the Standard Range and non-Plaid models, a software lock seems to be the case.

That being the case, Tesla could release a software update that allows customers to remove these limits sometime down the road. The EV company has done this in the past with its Model S. However, those post-launch upgrades weren't free, costing customers a hefty premium. There is also always a chance that some savvy hackers can bypass these limitations, as some hackers have previously unlocked premium Tesla features without paying for them.

Anyone still interested in picking up a Standard Range variant of the Model X or Model S will have to wait until September or October, according to Tesla's product page. Although it may be worth waiting around until others get their hands on the product first, just to be sure Tesla isn't lying about the car's range capabilities, something Tesla is known for doing in the past.