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Summer 2014 Tesla Model S New Features Reported
It’s no lie that the Tesla Model S just gets better with age. I took delivery of my Model S at the end of April of this year and have been loving all of the new feature additions through their periodic Firmware updates. And now, just four months after taking delivery, I’m reading that additional updates to the Model S are being rolled off the Fremont plant.
Color Update
One of our writers reported that Tesla was spotted testing new color palettes at the Tesla Hawthorne Design Center not too long ago and it looks like this is now coming to fruition.
I chose the "Grey Metallic Paint" color for my Model S and absolutely love it. Some people call this "Dolphin Grey" but apparently Tesla has changed the paint composition to a grey that's much darker in color. I haven't seen one in person yet and would love to line mine up next to the new color, but from what I've seen on the internet, I think I like the original lighter grey better.
Below is the best picture I could find comparing the original grey (left) to the new and very dark, almost black, grey on the right.
Model S Interior Changes
The Tesla Motors website now shows a new option on the order page that separates the Alcantara headliner from the Alcantara upper dashboard trim. The second option is new and is available when selecting the $1,500 Alcantara headliner upgrade.
I wasn't interested in the headliner, especially at that price, but I find it fascinating that Tesla thought it was desirable enough to break out as its own individual option.
The parcel shelf (covers contents within the trunk) which was originally an optional component for $250 is now included for free.
I think it would be a nice gesture if Tesla could offer this parcel shelf to current owners as a free upgrade when performing their annual service. Right now it remains a $250 purchase post-delivery at the Shop Tesla storefront which I just find silly.
Feature Addition
Some Model S owners from the Tesla Motors Club forum are reporting a new feature that's available on new deliveries - an Ionizer.
Ionizers reportedly clean up particles that enter the cabin through open windows and doors. The ionizer emits positive and negative ions that attach to airborne bacteria, viruses and molds, theoretically neutralizing them. Toyota and Volvo among others offer this in their higher end cars.
New owners with firmware version 5.12 are seeing this new feature appear within the touchscreen controls. New Model S supposedly have extra hardware in the car to support the ionizer which means existing owners like myself will likely not get the ionizer feature even after upgrading to 5.12.
Luckily ionizers can be easily added to any car through the addition of a portable 12v automobile friendly ionizer.
Summary
Tesla continues to quietly evolve the options and configurations available for the Model S. I wish Tesla had an owners newsletter to keep us informed of the available changes and whether they affect existing owners. It will be interesting to monitor the features and price changes that take place over time and watch the Model S grows up. While some of the changes above would have been nice to have, nevertheless I'm an extremely satisfied owner with zero regrets.
News
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
News
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
News
Tesla Semi program Director teases major improvements
Tesla Semi Program Director Dan Priestly teased the major improvements to the all-electric Class 8 truck on Thursday night, following the company’s decision to overhaul the design earlier this year.
Priestley said he drove the Semi on Thursday, and the improvements appear to be welcomed by one of the minds behind the project. “Our customers are going to love it,” he concluded.
Just drove the redesigned Semi. Our customers are going to love it. https://t.co/KZ88sf1CDL
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) December 19, 2025
The small detail does not seem like much, but it is coming from someone who has been involved in the development of the truck from A to Z. Priestley has been involved in the Semi program since November 2015 and has slowly worked his way through the ranks, and currently stands as the Director of the program.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
Tesla made some major changes to the Semi design as it announced at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that it changed the look and design to welcome improvements in efficiency.
Initially, Tesla adopted the blade-like light bar for the Semi, similar to the one that is present on the Model Y Premium and the Cybertruck.
Additionally, there are some slight aesthetic changes to help with efficiency, including a redesigned bumper with improved aero channels, a smaller wraparound windshield, and a smoother roofline for better aero performance.
All of these changes came as the company’s Semi Factory, which is located on Gigafactory Nevada’s property, was finishing up construction in preparation for initial production phases, as Tesla is planning to ramp up manufacturing next year. CEO Elon Musk has said the Semi has attracted “ridiculous demand.”
The Semi has already gathered many large companies that have signed up to buy units, including Frito-Lay and PepsiCo., which have been helping Tesla test the vehicle in a pilot program to test range, efficiency, and other important metrics that will be a major selling point.
Tesla will be the Semi’s first user, though, and the truck will help solve some of the company’s logistics needs in the coming years.
