Tesla’s Model S about to get a performance upgrade

New report says Elon Musk is working on improvements to the Model S, which hasn’t had a major update since its launch in 2012.

Tesla’s Model S is about to get an overhaul, with changes to its motors, batteries and chassis.

A report by US website Electrek claims Tesla engineers are working on a secret new project called “Palladium”, which involves updates to both the Model S and the Model X SUV.

The Model S is largely unchanged since its launch in 2012, although Tesla constantly updates the car via software updates.

The project is believed to centred on improvements to the Model S’s batteries and drive units, targeting efficiency and performance. But they could also be styling, chassis and equipment changes.

The website says the project involves building new production lines for both vehicles, suggesting the changes are substantial.

Secret upgrades are planned for the Model S. Picture: Supplied.

In September last year, Tesla announced a tri-motor set up for the Model S, calling it the “Plaid powertrain”. Plaid is a reference to the 1980s sci-fi comedy Spaceballs.

A chassis prototype was rolled out in September last year and Tesla claimed to have set record time for a four-door sedan at America’s Laguna Seca racetrack.

Later that month, the prototype appeared at the famed Nurburgring test track in Germany, where a German magazine unofficially clocked the Plaid prototype completing the trip 20 seconds faster than the record of 7 minutes 42 seconds set for an EV by the Porsche Taycan.

Porsche pointed out that its test car was a production vehicle, while the Tesla was a specially prepared prototype.

The upgrade could include styling changes. Picture: Supplied.

At this stage it’s unclear whether the Plaid models will be a performance variant of the Model S, or whether they will morph into an upgraded model.

The Electrek report says a Tesla employee hinted there may be a new body for both the Model S and the Model X. It also says that an interior design update originally planned for last year could be brought forward.