Tesla recently added the refresh Model S to the official Parts Catalog, and with it confirmed some features we suspected the new car had, and also revealed some new information about other features.
Model S Third Row
Just a few months ago a drone flyover of the Fremont factory discovered a newly built refresh Model S with what appeared to be a third row of seats in the trunk. A few weeks after the sighting, Elon Musk confirmed the third row without saying as much, commenting that it can seat “up to 7 adults.”
Even though the feature has yet to appear on the Design Studio, the Parts Catalog confirms it is coming.
Section 1306 is for the “3rd Row Seat Assemblies and Hardware.” Unfortunately it appears as though it might still be a while until the option arrives as the link does not work, instead taking you to the 2nd row information.
Model S Tow Hitch
A sighting of a Model S Plaid on the streets of San Francisco earlier this year all but confirmed the new Model S would be coming with a tow hitch. This was supported by evidence in the source code of the Design Studio that showed the feature as an option.
Section “1203 – Undertray and Diffuser” confirms the world’s fastest production car will also be able to tow some of your favourite toys.00
Model S Heated Front Radar
Radar, a word that everyone Tesla fan loves to hate. Even though the feature has been removed from the Model 3/Y, Tesla is still including it in the Model S/X. According to section “1720 – Radar Sensors”, Tesla has even upgraded it with the refresh to include a heater.
That means the area around the radar unit on the front bumper will be able to melt snow and ice to keep it clear of debris (until it gets turned off in the switch to Tesla Vision).
Image via Tesla
Model S Active Aero
One month ago a prototype of a Model S Plaid+ was spotted testing at the Laguna Seca racetrack. Setti
ng it apart from other test vehicles seen this year, the prototype featured a new adjustable rear wing. While the position of the wing did change during the day, we did know if that was because employees were tweaking it between laps, or if it was an active aero wing, meaning it can adjust on the fly based on speed.
Section “1010 – Body Panels” of the Parts Catalog mentions a liftgate with “no active aero.” Why would Tesla have to specify that this particular part does not have an active aero wing if one wasn’t available? This all but confirms that it was an active aero wing, but whether we will ever see it now that the Plaid+ has been cancelled is another story.
We also reported yesterday on another new product found for the Model S in the Parts Catalog – Zero G wheels and tires.
If you find anything else interesting in the Parts Catalog, let us know in the comments below or send us an email at tips@driveteslacanada.ca.
