Tesla has canceled the most expensive variant of its flagship sedan, the Model S Plaid Plus, according to a tweet from CEO Elon Musk on Sunday.
Previously, Tesla and Musk promised fans the tri-motor, Plaid Plus version of their new Model S would give drivers 1,100 horsepower, 520 miles of range on a fully charged battery, and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in less than two seconds.
On Sunday, Musk wrote on Twitter, where he has a follower count above 50 million:
“Plaid+ is canceled. No need, as Plaid is just so good.” He added, “0 to 60mph in under 2 secs. Quickest production car ever made of any kind. Has to be felt to be believed.”
In March, Tesla raised the price of the Model S Plaid Plus by $10,000 bringing it to about $150,000. The option to order the Model S Plaid Plus variant was removed from Tesla’s website around the last week of May, according to a CNET report.
The remaining high-end version of the Model S Plaid will cost around $119,900 and feature a 390-mile range battery, with 1,020 horsepower and acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in two seconds, among other features.
Musk previously planned a “delivery” ceremony at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California for the Model S Plaid on June 3. As the date approached, he delayed this until June 10 saying the vehicle still needed “one more week of tweak.”
Like other North American automakers, Tesla has been grappling with supply chain issues especially a computer chip shortage.
The company recently removed radar sensors and lumbar support from the front passenger seats in its lower-priced Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover for customers in North America.
It produced none of the higher-priced Model S or Model X vehicles during the first quarter of 2021, even though Musk had said production was underway during a 2020 fourth-quarter earnings call.
By April 26 on Tesla’s next earnings call Musk was saying:
“Q1 had some of the most difficult supply chain challenges that we’ve ever experienced in the life of Tesla. Insane difficulties with the supply chains with parts, over the whole range of parts. Obviously, we were upset about the chip shortage. This is a huge problem.”
He also spoke about technical challenges developing and figuring out how to manufacture new versions of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV.
“There were more challenges than expected in developing the Plaid Model S or the Paladium program, which is a new version of the Model S and X, which has a revised interior and new battery pack and new drive units and new internal electronics and has resembled a high-station level infotainment system.” He added, “It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S and X is safe.”
Meanwhile the company has increased prices for different variants of its more popular Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S. several times this year. Musk blamed the price increases on supply chain issues as well. He wrote in a tweet on May 31, “Prices increasing due to major supply chain price pressure industry-wide. Raw materials especially.”
