New, Lower-Cost Tesla Model S 60 Will Start at $66,000

Think of the Ludicrous options or the P90D. Today, though, Tesla announced an expansion of the Model S range at the bottom end.

Tesla will soon sell a Model S 60 and 60D, both of which will offer at least 200 miles of range. If that sounds familiar, then you probably remember that Tesla used to sell a Model S with a 60-kWh battery (the Model S numbers are based on the battery size) but stopped selling it last year. In 2013, Tesla also ended sales of the 40-kWh model. This is the first time that a cancelled model is making a return but, as you might suspect, things are a bit different this time around.

For one thing, the price is lower. The new 60 will start at $66,000, whereas the previous 60 started at $70,000. There's also an all-wheel drive version available (as the 60D indicates, for "D"ual motors). Plus, the new 60 has a secret inside: a 75-kWh battery pack, which matches the current (until this announcement, anyway) smallest size Model S pack. This is not a new strategy for Tesla.

The new 60s also come with Autopilot hardware, so if someone who buys a new Model S 60 wants to upgrade the battery pack (i.e., access the extra kWh for more range) or turn on the Autopilot options, that will be possible.