Tesla officially announced the introduction of the new Ultra Red paint option for the Model S and Model X in a new video released on Thursday afternoon. Accompanying the video, which was first shared on Twitter, the automaker also sent out an email to customers letting them know about the new colour, and some other new and not-so new features of the Model S.
Here is the video, which is all about the new Ultra Red paint option.
Introducing Ultra Red paint for Model S & X pic.twitter.com/CFT1sdyIr1
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 9, 2023
Scattered through the video however we can see that various parts of the Model S are highlighted, and these are mentioned in a follow-up tweet and the email. As we reported in January the Model S Plaid now comes with new brake pads that offer higher thermal capability. They also mention the caliper covers, but use softer language saying they now come with “red calipers for a sharper aesthetic.
Also in January the automaker introduced a round steering wheel for the Model S, deciding to make the controversial yoke steering wheel an option, a feature which it also talked about in the email.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the communication is a new and improved glass roof for the Model S. According to Tesla it “lets in [5x] more light, allowing a clearer view of the sky, day or night. All of this was achieved while maintaining the same level of heat and UV protection that the original glass roof offered. Tesla also said the new glass roof weighs less and improves handling by lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity.
Tesla didn’t share any images of the new glass roof, but did include a glimpse of it in the video above.
The one feature that was conspicuously absent from the email was any mention of Hardware 4.0 (HW4), which is now being included in new Model S and Model X cars being delivered today. Tesla has so far made no announcement or even a mention of HW4 being added to production, even though we have known it was coming for several months. It could be that the software to support the new hardware is incomplete and the company will only officially announce it when everything is ready. This would however be a departure from their other recent announcements like the removal of ultrasonic sensors even though the software does not yet provide distance measurements through vision.
You can read the full email below.