A Tesla Model S 75D is the latest addition to the California Air Resource Board (CARB)’s list of vehicles eligible for single occupant carpool lane stickers, says Electrek. Last month, the automaker unveiled a 75 kWh battery pack for the Model X, but there was no confirmation about the same battery option for the Model S. Now we can expect the 75 kWh option for the Model S soon.
Model S with 75 kWh battery pack soon
At present, the Model S is available with the smallest battery pack option of 70 kWh, while the 75 kWh option is not showing up yet on Tesla’s website. The Model X comes with two battery options — a 75 kWh battery pack and the 90 kWh battery pack — both of which are available with the all-wheel-drive powertrain.
The update on CARB’s website means that Tesla plans to introduce the 75 kWh battery pack for the Model S soon. Electrek approached Tesla to find out if CARB’s update is correct, to which a company spokesperson confirmed that the company indeed plans to introduce the 75 kWh battery pack to the Model S lineup, but the person did not disclose a timeline for it.
For the 70 kWh RWD option, the current rating is 234 miles on a single charge, and the range rises to 240 miles with the AWD option. The energy capacity gets a boost of 7% with a 75 kWh pack, resulting in a range of to 250 miles for the RWD option and 256 miles for the AWD option.
Will Tesla raise the price as well?
An important question that needs to be answered at this point is whether Tesla will increase the starting price of the vehicle even more after bumping up the minimum capacity from 70 kWh to 75 kWh, so as to cover the added costs of the larger capacity. Tesla refreshed the Model S recently, tweaking the front fascia and adding the Bio-weapon Defense Mode. The company also raised the base price by $1,500, offering a single-motor 70 kWh configuration at a starting price of $71,500
Originally, the Model X was supposed to come with a 70 kWh capacity, but the company increased the base model capacity to 75 kWh. This led to a $3,000 increase in the base price.
On Tuesday, Tesla shares closed down 3.92% at $232.32. Year to date, the stock is down by over 2%, while in the last year, it is up almost 3%. The stock has a 52-week high of $286.65 and a 52-week low of $141.05.
