Tesla is about to stop selling the Model S 75D and Model X 75D, Elon Musk unexpectedly announced on Wednesday. The CEO told followers on Twitter the company will stop taking orders for the two cars as of Sunday night. The two cars are the cheapest versions available at the time of writing, and their removal will increase the base price of a Model S by nearly $20,000.
The move draws a bigger differentiator between the entry-level Model 3, which can cost $62,000 for the performance edition, and Tesla’s two premium models. The Model S 75D, named because of its 75-kilowatt-hour battery pack that runs for 259 miles per charge, costs $76,000, while the 100D that runs for 335 miles costs $94,000. The Model X 75D costs $82,000 and runs for 237 miles, while the 100D costs $97,000 and runs for 295 miles. When asked by Inverse for further details about the move, including whether it signals the release of newer versions with higher capacity than 100-kilowatt hours, Tesla declined to comment.
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Musk also announced that Tesla will move away from selling cars by battery size, a trend first spotted with the Model 3. That vehicle entered production in July 2017 in a “long-range” version, where marketing literature focused on its 310-mile range instead of its battery capacity. It later emerged that the long-range version ships with a 74-kilowatt-hour pack, meaning the car moves a lot further than the Model S on a similar-sized battery.
It’s not the first time Tesla has reduced the number of options available. Tesla dropped the Model S 60 in April 2017 after low demand, dropping the price of the Model S 75 soon after to $69,500. In September 2018, Musk announced plans to remove obsidian black and metallic silver as color choices to boost manufacturing at a time when Tesla was recovering from its plan to ramp up Model 3 production to reach 5,000 cars per week.
While it’s unclear where Tesla may go next with the Model S and X, buyers looking for an entry-level vehicle may not be out of luck for long. Tesla is expected to unveil the Model Y compact sports utility vehicle in March.
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