Tesla Model S and X Standard Range offer lower range for less money

Tesla added new versions of its Model S and Model X ranges that offer a less expensive point of entry into its premium-level electric vehicles in exchange for some range. The Model S Standard Range is now the least expensive version of the electric sedan with a starting cost of $78,490, or $79,880 after the mandatory $1,390 delivery charge. The new Model X Standard Range starts at $88,490, or $89,880 after delivery.

The lowered prices are the result of lowered range from their massive battery packs. The Tesla Model S Standard Range is rated for 320 miles per charge, which is a significant 85-mile disadvantage when compared to the 405-mile range of the regular Model S, which is still available on Tesla's website for exactly $10,000 more than the new Standard Range. Same goes for the Model X Standard Range and its 269-mile rating. For exactly $10,000 more, the Model X crossover offers 348 miles of range.

There is also a slight reduction in acceleration from the two new S and X offerings. While still quite quick by any reasonable standard, the Model S Standard Range is estimated to go from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, down .06 ticks from its more expensive sibling. The Model X Standard Range is the same number of ticks slower to 60 than the next-least-expensive X with an estimated time of 4.4 seconds.

We don't yet know what sort of batteries the new Standard Range Model S and Model X are using. In the past, Tesla has sometimes used software to artificially reduce the range of its vehicles by locking out a certain amount of battery capacity. The automaker would allow buyers to pay an additional fee after the initial purchase to unlock the battery's full capacity.

More recently, Tesla began offering versions of its smaller Model 3 and Model Y with lithium-iron-phosphate battery chemistry instead of its traditional lithium-ion packs. It's possible that these new Standard Range editions are either limited by software or have the new battery chemistry, but we won't know for sure until vehicles deliveries begin, which is currently estimated for September or October.

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