Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S Upcoming Hardware and Software Upgrades

I finally found a chunk of time to sit down and watch Tesla’s 2014 annual shareholder meeting. There’s a lot of information scattered throughout the video, but for this write up I just wanted focus on the hardware and software features that were mentioned by Elon in the video. The features section is fairly short and starts at the 13:07 minute mark and runs through to 15:49.
Personalized Software
Elon said that you’ll be able to personalize the car a lot more from from something as little as naming your car within the Tesla portal and app to more advanced personalization through learning behavior. Not a lot of detail was provided around the personalized learning, but he did mention calendar integration and the ability to factor in traffic data and commute times to your scheduled calendar appointments. This sort of sounds like what you get from an iOS or Android device when taking a look at your day view calendar.
Community Based Traffic
Traffic optimized directions, re-routing around traffic, alerts for upcoming traffic are also on its way. The intelligence for this is from both a collaborative network of other Model S cars on the road as well as external data sources (he said 20 million other data sources). The Model S network data will be given preference/priority over the other data sources, but it won’t be the only source of data. I sincerely hope that data sources include Google traffic. He compared the collaborative network between the Model S to Waze. There may be possibilities that would allow Model S drivers to interact with one another and collaborate on reporting speed traps, road closures, etc. The traffic re-routing will be a great addition but a more interactive environment between Model S’ really opens up some interesting possibilities for the future.
One flier that Elon threw out at the very end (~1h10min mark) is that he’s confident that within a year you’ll be able to go from highway onramp to highway offramp without touching any controls. Their dates aren’t very believable and its not clear if he’s just talking about the possibility of doing this (Google already can do this sort of thing) or if he meant this would be available in a Tesla product. Either way it will be an exciting next step in the driving experience!
Tesla Model S Seat Option
It should be no surprise to most Tesla owners that Tesla Motors does not have model years for their cars. Instead they roll out changes as they’re needed. Elon cited several cases of improvements made to the seats and undercarriage (Titanium). In addition to that, he mentioned several new features that were introduced like power folding mirrors and parking sensors. The only real “hardware” upgrade that he made mention of is coming later this year as another seat option. It sounds like the current seats will remain standard and this new seat will be an upgrade option that can be retrofitted into the existing Model S price. I’d expect the new seats to be a significant upgrade, but I’m quite happy with the current ones I have.
Summary
There wasn’t a lot of breaking news about features within this shareholder meeting but there were some good clarifications. The collaborative network part between Model S’ was the most exciting and something I hadn’t heard of before. I had assumed they would just use Google traffic. The other items like upgraded seats and a more personalized experience are also interesting.
In terms of a delivery timeline, Elon said it was “rolling out fairly soon” but given their poor history on date estimations, it’s anyones guess when this will be.
News
This signature Tesla feature is facing a ban in one of its biggest markets
The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”

A signature Tesla feature is under fire in one of the company’s largest markets, as regulators in one EV hot spot are mulling the potential ban of a design the automaker implemented on some of its vehicles.
Tesla pioneered the pop-out door handle on its Model S back in 2012, and CEO Elon Musk felt the self-presenting design was a great way to feel like “you’re part of the future.”
It is something that is still present on current Model S designs, while other vehicles in the Tesla lineup have a variety of handle aesthetics.
According to Chinese media outlet Mingjing Pro, the company, along with others using similar technology, is facing scrutiny on the design as regulators consider a ban on the mechanism. These restrictions would impact other companies that have utilized pop-out handles on their own designs; Tesla would not be the only company forced to make changes.
The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”
However, EVs are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, which is the main reason for this design. It is also the reason that many EVs utilize wheel covers, and sleek and flowing shapes.
However, the Chinese government is not convinced, as they stated the aerodynamic improvements are “minimal,” and safety issues are “significantly elevated,” according to The Independent.
The issue also seems to be focused on how effective the handle design is. According to data, one EV manufacturer, which was not specified in the report, has 12 percent of its total repairs are door handle failure fixes.
There are also concerns about the handles short-circuiting, leaving passengers trapped within cars. Tesla has implemented emergency latch releases in its vehicles that would prevent passengers from getting stuck in their cars in cases of electric malfunctions or failures.
However, evidence from the Chinese Insurance Automotive Technology Research Institute (C-IASI) suggests that 33 percent of door handles using this design fail to function after a side impact.
Obviously, Tesla and other automakers could introduce an alternative design to those vehicles that are affected by the potential restrictions China intends to impose. The regulation would take effect in July 2027.
News
Tesla pushes crazy ‘Luxe’ incentive package on flagship Model S and X
Tesla is pushing more customers to the Model S and Model X with a new incentive package.

Tesla has pushed a crazy new incentive package, known as the “Luxe Package,” on the flagship Model S and Model X, along with a $10,000 price increase on each trim level.
The move aims to likely bolster margins for the company on the two cars while also giving those who choose to buy the Tesla lineup mainstays a variety of awesome advantages, including Free Supercharging, Full Self-Driving, and other add-ons.
Tesla is offering a crazy Supercharging incentive on its two ‘sentimental’ vehicles
Last night, Tesla launched the “Luxe Package” for the Model S and Model X, which includes the following four add-ons:
- Full Self-Driving (Supervised) – Your car will be able to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention
- Four-Year Premium Service – Wheel and Tire Protection, Windshield Protection, and Recommended Maintenance
- Supercharging – Charge for free at 70,000+ Superchargers worldwide
- Premium Connectivity – Listen to music, stream movies, monitor live traffic, and more – no Wi-Fi needed
Full Self-Driving is priced at $8,000. Free Supercharging for the life of the car is between $10,000 and $15,000 over the life of the vehicle, although Tesla has valued it at $5,000 in recent promotions.
Free Premium Connectivity is roughly $1,000, and the four-year tire, wheel, windshield, and maintenance plan is about $3,200.
🚨 Tesla increased the price of both the Model S and Model X by $10,000, but both vehicles now include the “Luxe Package,” which includes:
-Full Self-Driving
-Four years of included maintenance, tire and wheel repairs, and windshield repairs/replacements
-Free lifetime… pic.twitter.com/LKv7rXruml— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2025
In all, the value is over $25,000, but this is loosely based on usage.
The Model S and Model X are low contributors to Tesla’s overall sales figures, as they make up less than five percent of sales from a quarterly perspective and have for some time.
As they are certainly the luxury choices in Tesla’s lineup, the Model 3 and Model Y are the bigger focus for the company, as a significantly larger portion of the company’s sales is made up of those vehicles.
The Luxe Package is an especially good idea for those who drive high-mileage and plan to use the Model S or Model X for commuting or long drives. The free Supercharging makes the deal worth it on its own.
As for the price bumps, each of the vehicles are now priced as follows:
- Model S All-Wheel-Drive: $94,990
- Model S Plaid: $109,990
- Model X All-Wheel-Drive: $99,990
- Model X Plaid: $114,990
News
Tesla takes first step in sunsetting Model S and X with drastic move
Tesla won’t be taking custom orders of the Model S or Model X in Europe any longer.

Tesla has seemingly taken the first step in sunsetting two of its older vehicles, the Model S and Model X, by ending international orders.
The flagship sedan and SUV from Tesla are the two oldest cars in the company’s lineup. They account for a very small portion of overall sales, and several years ago, CEO Elon Musk admitted that Tesla only continues to build and sell them due to “sentimental reasons.”
Earlier this year, there were calls for Tesla to end the production of the two cars, but Lars Moravy said that the Model S and Model X were due to get some love later in 2025. That happened, but the changes were extremely minor.
Tesla launches new Model S and Model X, and the changes are slim
Some took this as an indication that Tesla has kind of moved on from the Model S and Model X. A handful of people seemed to think Tesla would overhaul the vehicles substantially, but the changes were extremely minor and included only a few real adjustments.
In Europe, customers are unable to even put a new order in on a Model S or Model X.
We noticed earlier today that Tesla pressing the ‘Order’ button on either of the flagship vehicles takes you to local inventory, and not the Design Studio where you’d configure your custom build:
🚨 Tesla has removed the Model S and Model X Design Configurators from European customers
It will now bring up available inventory for those two vehicles instead of allowing you to build your own config pic.twitter.com/sMnGAr2kuu
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 30, 2025
Tesla simply does not make enough Model S or Model X units to justify the expensive logistics process of shipping custom orders overseas. It almost seems as if they’re that they will essentially build a bunch of random configurations, send them overseas every few months, and let them sell before replenishing inventory.
Inversely, it could also mean Tesla is truly gearing up to sunset the vehicle altogether. It seems unlikely that the company will fade them out altogether in the next couple of years, but it could absolutely think about ending international orders because volume is so low.
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