Tesla Finds its Design Language
Best known for its technology, the Elon Musk-helmed company hits its stride aesthetically
As a new car company that’s known more for technology than design, Tesla has begun to solve the latter. This isn’t to say that Teslas have had poor design—they’re sleek and simple and have many thoughtful elements inside and out—but looking at their line-up it’s easy to see that they’ve only just begun to find a consistent design language. Further support to this is the recent nose-job the automaker quietly rolled out on their flagship sedan, the Model S.
According to Tesla, the Model S undergoes some 20 updates each week—some technical, some visible, all improvements. Now looking a little more like its successor the Model X (which was released in September 2015), the new version of the Model S has had its black nose-cone removed and the now-trademark “floating” Tesla T in the center of its facade. This is the most obvious change, but there has been plenty more. The new lights are more functional (with adaptive capabilities and turning lights for better visibility) and also look more angled, to match the car’s new sleeker aesthetic.
Inside, the visuals keep coming, with two new decor options in Figured Ash Wood or Dark Ash Wood. Technology-wise (and ultimately important for an electronic car) the standard charger has been given a boost from 40 amps to 48 amps—meaning faster charging. Previously unavailable in this model, the Tesla HEPA air filtration system now comes in the Model S, which means healthier drivers and passengers as the system removes 99.97% of particulate exhaust pollution and various other allergens from the cabin.
Considering how young Tesla is, how focused they are on technological innovations, this design refresh (to keep up with the newer models) shows the brand has hit its stride aesthetically—the vibe is now one of polished understatement and, most importantly, it’s consistent across all their vehicles.
Images courtesy of Telsa
