Tesla Raises Model S Plaid Price Before Deliveries

Even for Tesla, this is pretty ridiculous.

Tesla has increased Model S Plaid prices by $10,000 ahead of first deliveries at a special event tonight. This comes just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the cancelation of the Model S Plaid+ on Twitter.

The Plaid now starts at $129,990. Tesla did not offer any explanation for the price hike, much to the annoyance of many customers. In general Tesla has gradually been increasing prices throughout their lineup over the past few months. Musk previously stated this was due to  major supply chain pressure industry-wide. Whilst it is true that there is currently a chip-shortage in the auto industry, it must be noted no other automaker is increasing prices to the same extent as Tesla.

The Model S Plaid is equally as quick as the canceled Plaid+, however its range is significantly less. Whilst the Plaid+ promised 520 miles per charge, the Plaid delivers 390 miles (both EPA estimates). For reference, the Mercedes EQS promises up to 478 miles of WLTP range meanwhile the Lucid Air delivers 517 EPA miles. The Long Range version of the Model S will still be continued for the refresh, however it will ‘only’ deliver 412 miles of EPA range according to the automaker.

What are your thoughts on the sudden price change? Personally we’re not too impressed by this drastic increase from Tesla. Even for a 6-figure car a $10,000 price increase is significant, and increasing prices a day ahead of first deliveries may put a lot of potential customers in a rather awkward position. As always, let us know what you think in the replies section below.

Image via Tesla