Tesla Motors is dropping entry level version of its Model S and replacing it with an all-wheel-drive Model S 70D.
The new Model S 70D starts out at $75,000 and replaces the $71,000 Model S 60 as the starting point for Tesla ownership.
The Model S 70D has a 70 kWh battery and can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 140 mph. The Model S 70D is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as having a range of 250 miles at 65 mph, compared with 208 miles for the Model S 60.
“Even at a starting price of $75k, the Model S 70D offers a broad and compelling set of features. Moreover, when one factors in the cost advantages over an internal combustion engine vehicle, including fuel savings and incentives, the actual cost of owning Model S 70D comes to about $55k over five years (the average length of new car ownership).”
In addition to having independently operational front and rear motors, the 70D includes Supercharging to enable free long-distance travel, Autopilot hardware, navigation, blind spot detection and many other features. As with every Model S, the 70D will receive free over-the-air updates that add functionality and improve the driving experience for years to come.
Tesla will immediately stop selling the Model S with a 60-kilowatt-hour battery that has served as its base model for most of the car’s history. This is the second time since the Model S went on sale in 2012 that Tesla has discontinued its lowest-range offering. Tesla’s original 40 kilowatt-hour version had a range of around 150 miles, but the company quickly stopped selling it as it was seen as being too limited.
Tesla also unveiled three new colors today; Ocean Blue, Obsidian Black, and Warm Silver, now available on any variant of Model S.
