Tesla announced in their December newsletter that from now on both the Model S and the Model X will feature all-wheel drive as standard, which means there will be no rear-wheel drive option in these cars.
With the all-wheel drive first introduced three years ago, this would be a big step forward. This means the Model S and X will only be available in 75D, 100 D, and P100D variants. The “D” signifies the presence of the dual motor set up.
In April this year, Tesla announced to stop producing rear wheel drive models for their flagship models except the Model S 75, which was available with rear-wheel drive. This came with the price hike of $2,500 and $5,500 for the 100D and the P100D respectively.
The prices now stand at $74,000 for Model S and $79,500 for the Model X, without federal or local tax credits and incentives.
The new feature is further highlighted in detail on the Tesla website pages for the Model S and the Model X.
The decision to standardize the drive in the high-end models seems like an effort to differentiate them from the more affordable, and still rear-wheel drive, Model 3. Elon Musk hinted at changes for the Model 3 in spring 2018. Tesla is attempting to include the brand’s Smart Air Suspension and all-wheel drive to it but this might delay as mass producing the Model 3 has been difficult for the company in the past.