Recently Elon Musk, executive director of Tesla, officially confirmed that thanks to its high efficiency and a series of modifications, the Model S would soon approach 400 miles (644 km) of autonomy under the realistic EPA approval cycle.
Everything seems to indicate that the reach of the vehicle will go much further: according to a Twitter user called @BLKMDL3, a worker from Tesla himself would have confirmed that in the summer both the Model S and Model X will receive a new pack 120 kWh (current models carry a battery of 100 kWh capacity). Although this information is not proven, it is interesting to remember that recently the Tesla software hacker @greentheonly discovered that the firm was preparing a series of modifications for its two most veteran models, including two new battery packs unknown capacity.
I was just told by someone who works for Tesla that Model S and X are coming out in summer with a 120kwh battery! 400 mile range for X and 500 mile range for S. @Teslarati @teslaownersSV @thirdrowtesla
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) January 31, 2020
Thanks to the new pack, the Model S could comfortably exceed 700 km EPA of autonomy, while the Model X for its part would go to more than 600 km EPA. This would be possible not only thanks to the large size of the pack, but also to the high efficiency of Tesla’s powertrains (the Model 3 Standard Range Plus is the most efficient electric car for sale in the United States).
Thanks to this update, the Tesla Model S will approach the real autonomy of a vehicle with an equivalent gasoline engine. Also, it is possible that together with the new battery both the Model S and Model X receive the capacity to charge 250 kW of direct current power (until now this feature was reserved for the most modern Model 3 Long Range).