Lifestyle
Comparison of Model X vs Model S Storage Space
From the outside, the Tesla Model X crossover SUV shares similar dimensions and styling cues with the Model S sedan. Both vehicles are just shy of 200 inches in length, and both vehicles have front and rear axles situated on each end of the skateboard style floor-mounted battery, thus sharing similar wheelbase dimensions of 120 in (304.8 cm) for the Model X and a slightly shorter 116.5 (295.9 cm) for the Model S.
Despite the similarities, there’s distinct differences in features and amenities between the electric crossover and sedan that could impact everyday practicality depending on your lifestyle.
We’ll be doing a multi-part series comparing select features of the Model X vs Model S, but for the purpose of this post, we’re taking a look at differences in storage space between the two vehicles.
Model X vs Model S Cargo Space
The Model X is a taller and roomier vehicle than the Model S, but when it comes to rear cargo space, the Model S actually has more useable storage space. Here’s why, and it’s quite simple.
The Model S second row seats fold flat leaving for an expansive open space that can store anything from long dresser bureaus to even skis!
Pictured above: Model S trunk with full-size folding electric bike and a full set of winter wheels and tires
The Model X on the other hand has third row seating that can also fold flat, but the overall length of storage is constrained by the backs of the second row seats. These seats do not fold down and instead capable of sliding back and forth on the seat’s mono post track in order to maximize trunk space.
Model S (left) vs Model X (right) trunk space comparison [Source: JH Photography via YouTube]
One benefit the Model X cargo space has over the Model S is the taller overall height within the trunk. This allows for vertical stacking of cargo as seen in the following video by JH Photography. They do an excellent job performing a side-by-side comparison of both trunks.
Nooks, Crannies and Cupholders
Yes, cupholders. The Model S was designed with an open center space between the two front seats given Musk’s appreciation for clean and open designs. But it wasn’t before long that owners realized they just couldn’t live without the convenience of a personal storage compartment and cupholder. Thus the Tesla center console movement was born, spearheaded by the folks at EVannex.
Tesla seems to have learned that people want their creature comforts and lots of it. The Model X comes standard with personal storage space and cupholders between every row of seats. They’ve also incorporated storage space into the lower door panels and USB ports directly in the front center section of the second row.
Tesla Model X 3rd row seat cupholders
saabkyle04 has produced a comprehensive video walkthrough of the Model X that’s really worth checking out. Since the video is nearly 40 minutes long, we’ve embedded only the portion of the video that highlights the Model X center console.
Front Trunk a.k.a.”frunk” Space
Early versions of the Model S without the dual motor configuration have an empty space in the area beneath the front windshield wipers. This extra “cubby” also known as “the microwave”, due to its rectangular shape, makes for remarkable storage capacity beneath the hood.
Rear wheel drive Model S frunk [Source: Electric Jen]
Later versions of the Model S with the dual motor configuration lost the additional microwave storage area. The same goes for the Model X which also sees a front motor mounted in the same section where the microwave would be.
Referencing the video by JH Photography, we can see that Model X frunk is quite spacious. Though it’s not large enough to hold two full size golf bags as mentioned by Elon during the Model X reveal, the huge frunk can accommodate a single golf bag, and some luggage.
Lifestyle
NTSB findings on fatal Tesla crash tell a very different story
The NTSB confirmed the driver, not Tesla’s FSD, caused the fatal Texas house crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings Wednesday confirming that a Tesla driver, not the vehicle’s software, caused a fatal crash in Katy, Texas in June. The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, had engaged Full Self-Driving Supervised mode on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential street with a 30 mph speed limit, before manually overriding the system by pressing the accelerator pedal all the way to 100%. Data recovered from the 2025 Tesla Model 3 showed the vehicle was traveling over 70 miles per hour when it struck a home and killed 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was inside. Weather was clear, the road was dry, and it was daylight.
Texas man charged in fatal Tesla crash where he blamed Autopilot
Butler told authorities he had passed out at the wheel. But security camera footage obtained by the NTSB told a different story, and showed the car accelerating through an intersection before leaving the road entirely. Police also found that Butler’s phone had Google searches including the terms “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026” and “Tesla FSD too timid,” raising serious questions about how he was using the system before the crash. Butler has since been charged with manslaughter. The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against both Butler and Tesla, alleging negligence.
The NTSB findings aligned directly with what Tesla VP of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy had already stated publicly on X in the weeks after the crash, writing that “the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.” The data confirmed his account.
Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Texas ranch to showcase the lifelong work that changed the world
Elon Musk is building a product gallery at his Texas ranch spanning his lifelong inventions.
Elon Musk took to X earlier today, noting “Am putting together a product gallery at my ranch in Texas.” in response to a resurfaced famous quote from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s wherein he draw parallels of the Tesla CEO to legendary physicist Albert Einstein.
Dimon made the remark at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland back in January 2025, telling CNBC at the time, “SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, I mean, the guy is our Einstein.” The remark seemingly ended a long-time feud between the two high profile execs.
While details are thin about the exact location of Elon Musk’s Texas ranch and any pending projects that would serve as a gallery and homage to his portfolio of revolutionary product inventions spanning from 1984 to 2025, land acquisition records point to roughly a location of several thousand acres in Bastrop County, east of Austin near the Colorado River and held through an LLC called Horse Ranch LLC that’s managed by Musk’s longtime personal friend and family wealth manager Jared Birchall. Birchall also serves as the CEO of Neuralink.
Tesla’s “ecological paradise” in Giga Texas may be larger than expected
The broader Bastrop County footprint surrounding the ranch has grown significantly. Entities tied to Musk have accumulated approximately 2,000 acres in Bastrop County as of mid-2026, up from 700 acres earlier in the year, with possibly as much as 6,000 acres acquired in total across Bastrop and Travis counties based on deed records.
No completion date for the gallery has been announced and Musk has not confirmed whether it will be open to the public. As Teslarati has reported, SpaceX just completed the largest IPO in history raising $75 billion, a milestone that makes this particular moment in Musk’s career a natural inflection point for looking back at what he has built through the years.
Am putting together a product gallery at my ranch in Texas https://t.co/xQf5FRy4uz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2026
Starting with Blastar, a simple space shooter game Musk coded at 12 years old and sold to a South African magazine for $500. From there the timeline moves through a commercial career that started with Zip2 in 1995, a city guide software company sold to Compaq for roughly $300 million in 1999. That was followed by X.com in 1999, which merged with Confinity to become PayPal, acquired by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. SpaceX came in 2002, Tesla in 2003, SolarCity in 2006, the Supercharger network in 2012, Neuralink in 2016, The Boring Company in 2016, OpenAI co-founded in 2015, X acquired in 2022, xAI in 2023, Optimus in 2024, the Cybercab in 2026, and most recently SpaceXAI following the SpaceX and xAI merger. The gallery will also likely include items that blur the line between product and cultural artifact, among them The Boring Company’s Not-a-Flamethrower from 2018, Tesla Short Shorts from 2020, and Burnt Hair perfume released under X in 2022.
Lifestyle
Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program
California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.
The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.
The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.
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For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.
Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.
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