It’s all about the Yoke as Tesla ushers in the new year with a series of upgrades for the Model S which is now entering its 10th year of production, retirement age in car years. However, 10-years on the Tesla Model S still looks future-proof. Indeed the Model S hasn’t aged that much. Around 35k people buy a Model S every year which makes them a bit of a rarity, so this could be why the Model S retains a youthful vigor in its old age. That said the 2021 upgrades are minor as they are extreme.

First the minor upgrades. As with any planned product cycle upgrade, the exterior benefits from minor design styling upgrades, new front and rear bumper profiles, new headlight and taillight designs and de-chromoification, new interior styling cues. And the interior is receiving the most attention. The new yoke steering wheel has distracted from the Model S performance upgrades. The steering wheel houses most of the primary functions usually associated with the steering column functionality.

The indicator stalks are missing, the light stalks are also missing because they now appear to be integrated into the steering wheel as capacitive touch buttons. Think of the Model S Steering wheel as a giant trackpad with haptic feedback. It’s quite a radical departure. There is no gear lever and it is unclear how to engage Drive, Neutral and Reverse. Presumably, it is done via the Yoke steering wheel, or the new horizontally mounted 17-inch infotainment system.

Rear passengers also get a rear-mounted 8-inch touchscreen, mounted low on the back of the central console. However, the biggest changes the 2021 upgrades usher in pertain to the battery range and performance. Three new trim levels are offered the dual-motor AWD Long Range, Plaid and Plaid+ the latter two tri-motor AWD. The entry level Model S Long Range starts at £83k and has an estimated range of 412miles, a 0-62 mph time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Plenty fast if you ask me.

The 1,020bhp Model S Plaid is a performance variant capable of doing the 0-62mph thing in 1.99 seconds, can reach a top speed of 200mph and has a battery range of 390miles. And this ridiculous performance will cost you £110k which is just above the summit BMW M5 territory in terms of cost. The 1,100bhp Model S Plaid+ costs £130k and takes things slightly to another level. It matches the Plaid in terms of performance but the range is increased to 520 miles. You better put that Porsche Taycan on hold.

It is unclear if the Model S is making use of a new generation of battery technology. There hasn’t been a major battery breakthrough announcement viable for production that we know of. So we can speculate Tesla has made efficiency-based performance and range improvements. That is to say, Tesla has found gains with a new generation of extremely efficient electric motors.

We have always said if you want an electric car then buy a Tesla because they are the benchmark and thoroughly way more advanced than any other electric car maker on the planet. And these new performance and range upgrades prove it.