Elon Musk: Tesla is going to ‘simplify’ Plaid tri-motor upgrade, ‘was getting too complex’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that Tesla is going to ‘simplify’ its upcoming Plaid tri-motor upgrade as it “was getting too complex.”

In September 2019, Tesla announced a Model S with a 3-motor “Plaid powertrain” and new a “chassis prototype.”

Over the next few months, the automaker has been testing Model S prototypes with the new powertrain at the Nürburgring race track.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk first said that the Tesla Model S with a “Plaid” powertrain and new rear-facing seats is coming in October or November 2020.

After some more testing, the CEO said that the new top performance version of the Model S is coming in summer 2020.

Now Musk says that Tesla is doing some modifications to the Plaid version:

We’re going to simplify Plaid a little. Was getting too complex.

He didn’t elaborate on what Tesla plans to modify as part of the new Plaid package, but the Tesla Model S Plaid prototypes spotted at Nürburgring last year had a new fascia, a strange rear spoiler, and more modifications.

The vehicles appear to basically be track-ready versions of the Model S Performance, which is interesting in the context of Tesla now offering a track package for the Model 3 Performance.

It’s also expected to feature a bigger battery pack.

We heard earlier this year that Tesla is working on a new ~110 kWh battery pack that should push the range of the Model S over 400 miles on a single charge.

It’s unclear how or if the simplified Plaid upgrade is going to affect the summer 2020 timeline.

The next-gen Roadster is expected to also get Tesla’s new 3-motor Plaid powertrain, but it should come after the new version of the Model S.

Electrek’s Take

I am glad to hear that because what Tesla was testing last year appeared too “track-ready” for my taste.

On the Electrek podcast yesterday, Seth Weintraub and I discussed the possibility of Tesla using the factory shutdown in Fremont to update the Model S and Model X production lines and get ready to restart production with the Plaid version and the new interior.

I think that would be a perfect opportunity, but if Elon says that they are still working on the design, it sounds unlikely to be ready by the time they restart production.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

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