Tesla is testing the new 2021 Model S “Refresh” on the street in preparations for its release, new photographs show.
Rumors of a revamped Model S and Model X design have been flowing through the community since December. Tesla shut down Model S and Model X production lines at the Fremont production factory in December 2020. The Fremont facility is the only location that the S sedan and X SUV are produced, as Tesla’s other currently-operational production plant, Giga Shanghai in China only builds the Model 3 and Y. Fremont also handles 3 and Y production, but it appears to be business as usual at the plant, as no revisions have been made to either car since the Model 3’s refresh in late 2020.
Teslarati sighted the Model S refresh outside of the Fremont Factory over the weekend. Tesla was using the test track it purchased from the Union Pacific Railroad in 2013, which sits near the Fremont Factory, to test the Model S Refresh. These photographs revealed several changes in the exterior shape, like a wider body used to hold wider wheels, a refined central air intake vent, a new rear bumper, and modified fog lights.
The changes were definitely noticeable, but they were from a distance, so not all of the revisions that Tesla may have made could be spotted. However, new, closer photographs have been captured, giving enthusiasts a closer look at what could be a “Refreshed” Model S.
These photographs were taken on E. Warren Ave, a street that runs East to West and sits directly South of Tesla’s Fremont Factory. As you can see from the photographs, the car runs on public roads near the factory, testing the vehicle’s durability and performance while handling everyday streets.
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- Photo: Teslarati
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- Photo: Teslarati
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- Credit: Google Maps
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- Photo: Teslarati
The two photos give a clearer indication of what Teslarati reported yesterday. The changes to the exterior are relatively minor as the shape of the Model S is basically the same. However, there are numerous improvements to the car that will reap positive benefits to the battery, aerodynamic performance, and the look of the car. One of the most notable changes is what appears to be a revised version of the Arachnid wheel that the Model S Refresh is seen with in the picture.
Comparing the photograph that shows the Model S at an angle with another similar photograph of the flagship sedan, we can see the fog light is shaped differently and seems to include a new shape that is more modern and sleek.
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- Photo: Teslarati
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- Credit: CNBC
The front lip has a larger opening, helping to cool the battery pack down, leading to longevity and more efficient cooling. The inclusion of a diffuser also appears to be sitting under the front lip of the car. On the Plaid Model S at the Nürburgring, the diffuser was located under the rear of the car. This helps improve aerodynamics by displacing air more efficiently.
Tesla has a knack for having release candidates drive around Northern California before its official release. Before the Model 3 was launched by Tesla in the Summer of 2017, several release candidates were spotted driving around Palo Alto, and Elon Musk even released a video of the Model 3 before the final design was approved. Additionally, the Model Y was spotted with testing apparatuses attached to the vehicle in December 2019, three months before the car was initially delivered to its first owner in March 2020.
There is no planned release date for the new Model S as of yet. However, there is certainly something going on at the Fremont factory, as some Body In White vehicles were spotted covered in the parking lot of the production facility last week. The covered bodies looked to maintain an irregular shape, but there were no doors or windows installed. Some anticipate the announcement of the Refresh to be made on Wednesday during the Tesla Earnings Call for Q4 2020, but that remains to be seen.
The Kilowatts also shared their thoughts on the sighting of the Model S Refresh, so be sure to check out their video below.
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Tesla Giga Berlin draws “red line” over IG Metall union’s 35-hour week demands
Factory manager André Thierig has drawn a “red line” against reducing Giga Berlin’s workweek to 35 hours, while highlighting that Tesla has actually increased its workers’ salaries more substantially than other carmakers in the country.
Tesla Giga Berlin has found itself in a new labor dispute in Germany, where union IG Metall is pushing for adoption of a collective agreement to boost wages and implement changes, such as a 35-hour workweek.
In a comment, Giga Berlin manager André Thierig drew a “red line” against reducing Giga Berlin’s workweek to 35 hours, while highlighting that Tesla has actually increased its workers’ salaries more substantially than other carmakers in the country.
Tesla factory manager’s “red line”
Tesla Germany is expected to hold a works council election in 2026, which André Thierig considers very important. As per the Giga Berlin plant manager, Giga Berlin’s plant expansion plans might be put on hold if the election favors the union. He also spoke against some of the changes that IG Metall is seeking to implement in the factory, like a 35-hour week, as noted in an rbb24 report.
“The discussion about a 35-hour week is a red line for me. We will not cross it,” Theirig said.
“(The election) will determine whether we can continue our successful path in the future in an independent, flexible, and unbureaucratic manner. Personally, I cannot imagine that the decision-makers in the USA will continue to push ahead with the factory expansion if the election results favor IG Metall.”
Giga Berlin’s wage increase
IG Metall district manager Jan Otto told the German news agency DPA that without a collective agreement, Tesla’s wages remain significantly below levels at other German car factories. He noted the company excuses this by referencing its lowest pay grade, but added: “The two lowest pay grades are not even used in car factories.”
In response, Tesla noted that it has raised the wages of Gigafactory Berlin’s workers more than their German competitors. Thierig noted that with a collective agreement, Giga Berlin’s workers would have seen a 2% wage increase this year. But thanks to Tesla not being unionized, Gigafactory Berlin workers were able to receive a 4% increase, as noted in a CarUp report.
“There was a wage increase of 2% this year in the current collective agreement. Because we are in a different economic situation than the industry as a whole, we were able to double the wages – by 4%. Since production started, this corresponds to a wage increase of more than 25% in less than four years,” Thierig stated.
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Tesla is seeing a lot of momentum from young Koreans in their 20s-30s: report
From January to November, young buyers purchased over 21,000 Teslas, putting it far ahead of fellow imported rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Tesla has captured the hearts of South Korea’s 20s-30s demographic, emerging as the group’s top-selling imported car brand in 2025. From January to November, young buyers purchased over 21,000 Teslas, putting it far ahead of fellow imported rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Industry experts cited by The Economist attributed this “Tesla frenzy” to fandom culture, where buyers prioritize the brand over traditional car attributes, similar to snapping up the latest iPhone.
Model Y dominates among young buyers
Data from the Korea Imported Automobile Association showed that Tesla sold 21,757 vehicles to the 20s-30s demographic through November, compared to BMW’s 13,666 and Mercedes-Benz’s 6,983. The Model Y led the list overwhelmingly, with variants like the standard and Long Range models topping purchases for both young men and women.
Young men bought around 16,000 Teslas, mostly Model Y (over 15,000 units), followed by Model 3. Young women followed a similar pattern, favoring Model Y (3,888 units) and Model 3 (1,083 units). The Cybertruck saw minimal sales in this group.
The Model Y’s appeal lies in its family-friendly SUV design, 400-500 km range, quick acceleration, and spacious cargo, which is ideal for commuting and leisure. The Model 3, on the other hand, serves as an accessible entry point with lower pricing, which is valuable considering the country’s EV subsidies.
The Tesla boom
Experts described Tesla’s popularity as “fandom culture,” where young buyers embrace the brand despite criticisms from skeptics. Professor Lee Ho-geun called Tesla a “typical early adopter brand,” comparing purchases to iPhones.
Professor Kim Pil-soo noted that young people view Tesla more as a gadget than a car, and they are likely drawn by marketing, subsidies, and perceived value. They also tend to overlook news of numerous recalls, which are mostly over-the-air software updates, and controversies tied to the company.
Tesla’s position as Korea’s top import for 2025 seems secured. As noted by the publication, Tesla’s December sales figures have not been reported yet, but market analysts have suggested that Tesla has all but secured the top spot among the country’s imported cars this year.
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Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) fleet is closing in on almost 7 billion total miles driven, as per data posted by the company on its official FSD webpage.
These figures hint at the massive scale of data fueling Tesla’s rapid FSD improvements, which have been quite notable as of late.
FSD mileage milestones
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles. Tesla owner and avid FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog also shared a screenshot indicating that from the nearly 7 billion miles traveled by the FSD fleet, more than 2.5 billion miles were driven inside cities.
City miles are particularly valuable for complex urban scenarios like unprotected turns, pedestrian interactions, and traffic lights. This is also the difference-maker for FSD, as only complex solutions, such as Waymo’s self-driving taxis, operate similarly on inner-city streets. And even then, incidents such as the San Francisco blackouts have proven challenging for sensor-rich vehicles like Waymos.
Tesla’s data edge
Tesla has a number of advantages in the autonomous vehicle sector, one of which is the size of its fleet and the number of vehicles training FSD on real-world roads. Tesla’s nearly 7 billion FSD miles then allow the company to roll out updates that make its vehicles behave like they are being driven by experienced drivers, even if they are operating on their own.
So notable are Tesla’s improvements to FSD that NVIDIA Director of Robotics Jim Fan, after experiencing FSD v14, noted that the system is the first AI that passes what he described as a “Physical Turing Test.”
“Despite knowing exactly how robot learning works, I still find it magical watching the steering wheel turn by itself. First it feels surreal, next it becomes routine. Then, like the smartphone, taking it away actively hurts. This is how humanity gets rewired and glued to god-like technologies,” Fan wrote in a post on X.
Tesla Giga Berlin draws “red line” over IG Metall union’s 35-hour week demands
Tesla is seeing a lot of momentum from young Koreans in their 20s-30s: report
