Tesla managed to build 54,805 units of the Model S and X in 2020 and delivered 57,039 in the same interval. The Palo Alto-based EV marque is looking to boost those numbers significantly in 2021 with the release of a much-awaited refresh for its two high-end vehicles. Rumors about the sedan and SUV duo being updated have been swirling around for months, and now there could be more evidence pointing in the same direction.
Aerial footage grabbed by a drone flying over the Tesla Fremont factory in California shows several vehicles hiding underneath white covers. It’s enough to make some people believe the mysterious body-in-whites depict the 2022 Model S and Model X refreshes while being carried from one facility to the other. It’s hard to pinpoint the identities of the two cars, but they do seem to be larger than the Model 3 and Model Y.
Taking into consideration Tesla has hundreds of fully exposed cars within the very same facility, it seems a bit strange it decided to cover only a handful of them. One possible explanation is the cars remain under covers for a very good reason – the company does not want the updated designs to leak online before the official premiere.
In recent weeks, there have been many clues leading us to believe the Model S and Model X are indeed heading towards a refresh. Production of the two models was halted during the holidays, thus suggesting Tesla used that hiatus to tweak the assembly line to get it ready for the updated vehicles. However, production resumed earlier this month with no sign of a revised sedan and/or SUV whatsoever.
A recent report claims Tesla has informed its employees to get rid of the remaining Model S and Model X stock by the end of the month, presumably to make room for the updated versions. Factor in the Model S prototype spied just outside of the factory at the beginning of the month, the official premiere could be inching closer.
January 27 will be the day when Tesla is going to have its earnings call, informing investors about its previous quarter and full 2020 financial results. That would be a good opportunity to announce the Model S and Model X refresh, but we’ll have to wait and see.
