Tesla models compared: Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck and more

(Pocket-lint) - Tesla has been heralded by the tech and motoring property for its innovation, stirring up a reasonably accepted marketplace and introducing electrical cars with a chiseled buzz astir them.

Tesla has taken much than its just stock of headlines implicit the past fewer years. But what does Tesla truly connection and what's coming successful the future? Here's everything you request to cognize astir Tesla Motors, from the Roadster done to the Model Y.

• Future electrical cars: The champion upcoming EVs

What is Tesla?

Tesla is an electrical conveyance (EV) shaper located successful Palo Alto, California. Its extremity is to nutrient electrical cars that are either premium oregon affordable for mundane consumers. The institution is tally by CEO and laminitis Elon Musk.

Outside of EVs, Tesla is besides exploring a wider ecosystem, offering a fig of different solutions that leverage its acquisition successful artillery power, specified arsenic star panels and powerfulness storage.

Which Tesla car is close for you?

Tesla is ever looking astatine expanding its offering. With the Model S making a immense interaction connected the marketplace arsenic 1 of the archetypal axenic electrical cars, it's a institution that's hugely disruptive.

All the ranges we've provided are from Tesla's cited ranges (from its US pages, the UK pages mightiness beryllium somewhat lower), but volition alteration depending connected driving benignant and biology factors. Tesla has besides changed the positioning of its models precocious and, successful immoderate cases, offers an upgrade to unlock powerfulness oregon issues firmware updates which changes the authoritative figures connected ranges.

There are 4 existent on-sale models, with a fig of antithetic versions to take from. 

Tesla Model S

• Starting price: $89,990 / £91,980
• Availability: US, UK, Europe
• Read our Tesla Model S review

The Model S is precise overmuch an enforcement saloon, with akin agelong and debased plan lines arsenic you mightiness find connected a Jaguar.

The Model S primitively launched successful 2012 and helped to enactment Tesla connected the representation arsenic an automaker. Tesla has continued updating the Model S since its release, and the astir caller exemplary has a trio of versions: Long Range Plus and Plaid. The Standard and Performance models were precocious dropped.

While immoderate earlier editions of the Model S offered rear-wheel drive, each the latest Model S run successful all-wheel thrust (AWD). The latest summation - and caller flagship - is the Plaid model, offering sub-1.9s 0-60mph - with the Plaid exemplary offering tri-motor propulsion (over the Long Range's dual-motor).

All models connection Autopilot arsenic modular - which brings a scope of operator assistance - but there's the enactment for the afloat self-driving upgrade astatine $10,000 (£6,800), which adds navigation to Autopilot, self-parking, Smart Summon, postulation airy designation and automatic metropolis thoroughfare driving (you'll inactive request to beryllium successful power of the car astatine each times). Forthcoming for 2021 is automatic driving connected metropolis streets and Enhanced Summon - wherever your parked car volition travel find you successful a car park.

1. Long Range: AWD, 405 miles, 0-60mph successful 3.1 seconds
2. Plaid: AWD, 396 miles, 0-60mph successful 1.99s

Tesla Model 3

• Starting price: $41,990 / £40,990
• Availability: US, UK and Europe
• Read our Tesla Model 3 review

The Model 3 launched successful the US successful 2016 arsenic the affordable alternate to the Model S, with prices having dropped to marque it the astir affordable Tesla.

A four-door sedan, the Model 3 launched with a scope of options, but that's been refined to conscionable 3 that are presently available. Ranges are based connected combined figures. Autopilot is standard, but the afloat self-driving upgrade is $10,000/£6,800.

1. Standard Range Plus: RWD, 262 miles, 0-60mph successful 5.3 seconds, partial premium interior
2. Long Range: AWD, 353 miles, 0-60mph successful 4.2s, premium interior
3. Performance: AWD, 315 miles, 0-60mph successful 3.1s, premium interior

Tesla Model X

• Starting price: $99,990 / £98,980
• Availability: US, UK, and Europe
• Read our Tesla Model X review

Tesla's Model X is the "soccer mom's" reply to the electrical car. It's an SUV-style EV susceptible of seating 7 people, but owes a batch of its plan to the archetypal Model S, particularly with that interior display.

It uniquely features rear Falcon Wing doors (think the Delorean successful Back to the Future) that, on with the immense touchscreen inside, volition marque each your kids deliberation you bought a car from the future. There are 2 models, but 3 antithetic seating configurations - you tin take 5 (included), 6 ($6,500 extra), oregon 7 ($3,500 extra). Autopilot is included, the afloat self-driving upgrade enactment is $10,000/£6,800.

1. Long Range: AWD, 360 miles, 0-62mph successful 3.8 seconds
2. Plaid: AWD, 340 miles, 0-62mph successful 2.5s

As with the Tesla Model S, determination person been a fig of antithetic versions of the Model X, but it's present distilled into the Long Range and Plaid - the second having that tri-motor arrangement.

Tesla Model Y

• Starting price: $54,990 / £54,990
• Availability: US / UK (from 2022)

The Tesla Model Y fills the abstraction betwixt the Model 3 and the Model X, arsenic a compact SUV. It volition spot five, offers plentifulness of space, but volition truly entreaty to those looking for thing much affordable than the Model X.

The compact SUV conception is the biggest selling astatine the moment, truthful it's a cardinal people for Tesla. Tesla primitively suggested 4 models would beryllium available, but presently offers 2 specifications:

1. Long Range: AWD, 315 miles, 0-60mph successful 4.8s
2. Performance: AWD, 303 miles, 0-60mph successful 3.5s

As with different Tesla models, immoderate of the lower-tier models person been dropped: the astir affordable Standard Range is nary longer available.

Cybertruck

• Starting price: $39,900/£TBC
• Availability: Late 2021

The Cybertruck was unveiled successful November 2019, arsenic Tesla switches its attraction to a pick-up motortruck format. This is apt to beryllium a batch much fashionable successful the US than different regions, though reservations are unfastened successful different regions too.

The Cybertruck has a unsocial angular design, with a stainless alloy assemblage and armoured solid - it volition besides person 100 CU FT (2830 litres) of storage, and towing capableness of 7,500+lbs. All these specs are for the US, with Tesla saying planetary specs volition beryllium developed depending connected demand.

There are initially 3 versions of the Tesla Cybertruck being suggested: 

1. Single Motor RWD: 250+ miles, 0-60 successful <6.5 seconds
2. Dual Motor AWD: 300+ miles, 0-60 successful <4.5s
3. Tri Motor AWD: 500+ miles, 0-60 successful <2.9s

The Dual and Tri Motor versions volition get first, with accumulation expected successful precocious 2021, portion the Single Motor is expected for 2022.

Roadster

• Starting price: $200,000, reservations open
• Availability: 2020

The Tesla Roadster started the full happening successful 2008 - and was owed to instrumentality successful 2020 (it's been reviewed by immoderate US sources, but different is inactive lone up for reservations only).

The Roadster's purpose is to beryllium the fastest electrical car connected the road, with immoderate awesome figures announced truthful far, with a 0-60mph velocity of 1.9 seconds and a apical velocity implicit 250mph. It volition spot 4 and has a removable solid roof.

There are 2 versions up for reservation: the Roadster and the Founders Series, with a $50k quality successful terms betwixt the two. The basal specs interruption down arsenic follows:

1. Roadster: AWD, 620 miles, 0-60mph successful 1.9 seconds

What astir the Semi?

Semi

The Tesla Semi is precisely what it sounds like: a Semi-trailer truck. A prototype debuted successful precocious 2017 and was planned for accumulation successful 2020 - but it hasn't officially surfaced yet.

Tesla initially claimed the motortruck would person a 500-mile scope connected a afloat complaint and would beryllium capable to tally for 400 miles aft an 80 per cent complaint successful 30 minutes utilizing caller "Tesla Megacharger" charging stations.

Musk said the Semi would travel modular with Tesla Autopilot, allowing semi-autonomous driving connected highways.

What is Tesla Autopilot?

Autopilot is portion information feature, portion James Bond-level car tech. It uses cameras that are strategically placed, allowing the car to bash things similar support successful the centre of a roadworthy lane, alteration lanes, and beryllium much adaptive portion successful cruise control. At a basal level that volition let adaptive cruise power and steering, portion Autopilot Enhanced besides allows automatic lane changes, parking and Summon (from the app connected your phone).

The extremity of Autopilot is to yet pb to autonomous driving. Starting successful October 2016, each car Tesla produced came with the inherent hardware to usage Autopilot. By 2019 it was standard. 

Tesla continues to propulsion update options, with much enhanced self-driving features, the latest of which see integration with navigation - truthful the car knows wherever you're going. Later successful 2021 it volition besides beryllium capable to respond to thoroughfare signs and postulation lights, arsenic good arsenic thrust connected metropolis streets.

What are Tesla Superchargers?

Tesla Superchargers are charging stations that person popped up each implicit the globe successful the past 10 years. It's the electrical car equivalent of a state station. While users tin complaint their car astatine location with wall-mounted chargers, Superchargers tin recharge a near-dead 85kWh artillery successful astir 70 minutes oregon get it to 50 per cent successful 20 minutes.

Tesla cars ordered earlier January 2017 tin usage the Supercharger stations for free, portion each different cars are allotted 400kWh per twelvemonth for free. After that users volition person a tiny fee, but it's inactive thing compared to what filling up a vessel of state costs.

Tesla much precocious introduced V3 Superchargers, which volition summation the charging to 250kW, perchance halving the complaint clip for compatible vehicles. Tesla's cars are besides compatible with different chargers (as agelong arsenic the plug fits), but Superchargers are exclusive to Tesla cars.

How tin you bargain a Tesla?

In 2019, Tesla announced each its dealerships would close. It's moving to online-only income via Tesla's site. However, a fewer prime shops successful high-traffic areas volition enactment unfastened and service arsenic showrooms for Tesla cars.

• Go present to bid a caller Model S
• Go present to bargain a pre-owned Model S
• Go present to reserve a Model X
• Go present to find a Tesla dealership

Does Tesla marque thing else?

Solar Roof

Most of america person seen the homes with gigantic star panels strapped to their roof. Sure, it'd beryllium chill to little your electrical bill, but it's not precisely pleasing to the eye. That's wherefore Tesla came up with Solar Roof. The conception is simple: what if each shingle connected your extortion was a star panel? To find retired more, spot our usher here.

Powerwall

Tesla's Powerwall is designed to store star energy. One occupation that plagues star powerfulness users is the quality to store vigor for usage erstwhile the prima is down. Powerwall solves that issue. To find retired more, spot our guide here.

Tesla Shop

At Tesla's online shop, you tin bargain immoderate nifty Tesla-branded apparel, but much importantly, you tin get car accessories, similar a wall-mounted charging larboard for your location oregon mobile connectors to complaint your car connected the go.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 16 March 2016.