Oh no, the Tesla Model S and Model X continue to struggle. Tesla is officially halting production for the Model X and the Model S for 18 days. This is a full-fledged production shutdown despite having plenty of demand for electric cars. 

Tesla stops Model S and Model X production 

According to Engadget, Tesla will be shutting down production of the Model S and the Model X for 18 days. The shutdown will take place between December 24th to January 11th. This information stems from an internal Tesla email that was abstained by CNBC.

Employees working on these lines will receive a full week of pay during the forced time off. But this only covered one of the two and half weeks of the shutdown. They are on their own for the rest of the time. They have been encouraged to seek shifts or to even volunteer in other areas of the business for the remaining unpaid days. 

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, shared that the company is fortunate to the high-class problem of demand being quite a bit higher than production this quarter. As a result, he has asked each employee to increase production as much as possible for the rest of the quarter. So, why are the Model S and Model X lines shutting down? 

The Model S and Model X lack demand 

Production of more affordable electric vehicles has been on the rise compared to luxury vehicles. In the third quarter of 2020, only 15,200 Model S and X units were delivered out of 139,300 units. This means that the Tesla Model S and X only accounted for 11% of the third-quarter deliveries. 

The Tesla Model X and S also had a major recall in China. Nearly 50,000 units were recalled due to having a faulty suspension. The front and rear suspensions were considered to be unsafe and potentially dangerous. 

The vehicles were manufactured in the United States and exported to China. Then the linkages to the left and right suspension in the front and rear were replaced at no cost to owners. Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn’t commented on if a similar recall in the U.S. will be necessary. 

Plus, there was a warranty expansion for the Tesla Model S due to memory device failure that led to the touch screen blackouts and a few other issues. The problems affected vehicles manufactured from 2012 to 2018. However, some high-end luxury shoppers might be waiting for the Tesla Model S Plaid. 

What is the Tesla Model S Plaid? 

The Tesla Model S Plaid may seem like a weird name, but it’s nerdy. For an insane amount of speed, you go Plaid. The new Tesla Model S shouldn’t disappoint with the expected ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds. 

It will have 1,100 hp and a driving range of over 520 miles. The Model S Plaid could gain a third electric motor to improve torque vectoring. This allows you to control the wheels on opposite sides of the car for enhanced handling. Delivered are expected to be made earlier in 2021.