• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Tesla Introduces Cheaper Model S Ahead of Model 3 Release

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 9, 2016, 10:50 AM ET
Courtesy of Tesla

Tesla is introducing two new cheaper versions of its flagship electric car, the Model S sedan, as it seeks to reach a broader audience more than a year before its mass-market $35,000 Model 3 car will become available.

The automaker announced Thursday it is bringing back the Model S 60—the number indicates the battery pack size—but with a twist. The sedan will actually have a 75-kilowatt hour (kWh) battery pack with software that limits it to 60-kWh. Tesla discontinued the Model S 60 last year.

Customers who buy this new Model S 60 or the all-wheel drive version, the Model 60D, can later choose to upgrade the vehicle to the larger pack size with a software update.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

The new Model S 60, which will start at $66,000, will have 210 miles of range with a top speed of 130 miles per hour. The all-wheel drive version will start at $71,000. Both versions will come equipped with the same safety features and hands-free Autopilot hardware that is in the other more expensive versions.

This isn’t the first time Tesla (TSLA) has offered a Model S 60. Way back in 2012, when Tesla first introduced the Model S, it was available with this battery pack size at a base price of $69,900. So it was actually more expensive than this new version of the Model S 60, which now accelerates faster with an improved interior as well as the availability of all-wheel drive.

Tesla’s richest investor is making this big prediction:

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company is constantly tweaking the Model S sedan, its bestselling all-electric car. But usually these improvements or changes have been accomplished via over-the-air software updates, which fix bugs or add new features to the car, including a semi-autonomous driving feature known as autopilot.

In April, Tesla tweaked the actual design of the Model S to look a little more like its sister car, the Model X crossover. The front fascia of the Model S now has a similar design as the Model X, which was introduced last year. It also has adaptive LED headlights.

About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

LawInternet
A Supreme Court decision could put your internet access at risk. Here’s who could be affected
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago
A computer screen with the Vanguard logo on it
CryptoBlockchain
Vanguard has a change of heart on crypto, lists Bitcoin and other ETFs
By Carlos GarciaDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago
AITikTok
China’s ByteDance could be forced to sell TikTok U.S., but its quiet lead in AI will help it survive—and maybe even thrive
By Nicholas GordonDecember 2, 2025
8 hours ago
United Nations
AIUnited Nations
UN warns about AI becoming another ‘Great Divergence’ between rich and poor countries like the Industrial Revolution
By Elaine Kurtenbach and The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
9 hours ago
Anthropic cofounder and CEO Dario Amodei
AIEye on AI
How Anthropic’s safety first approach won over big business—and how its own engineers are using its Claude AI
By Jeremy KahnDecember 2, 2025
9 hours ago
Sabrina Carpenter
LawImmigration
Sabrina Carpenter rips ‘evil and disgusting’ White House use of one of her songs in an ICE raid video montage
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
9 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk says he warned Trump against tariffs, which U.S. manufacturers blame for a turn to more offshoring and diminishing American factory jobs
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 2, 2025
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
MacKenzie Scott's $19 billion donations have turned philanthropy on its head—why her style of giving actually works
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Forget the four-day workweek, Elon Musk predicts you won't have to work at all in ‘less than 20 years'
By Jessica CoacciDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
More than 1,000 Amazon employees sign open letter warning the company's AI 'will do staggering damage to democracy, our jobs, and the earth’
By Nino PaoliDecember 2, 2025
20 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.