Tesla Model S generations and refreshes, year by year

The Tesla Model S had one platform but five distinct generations in practice: the 2012 classic, the April 2016 facelift, the 2019 Raven update, the 2021 Palladium refresh and the June 2025 final update sold as the 2026. Production ended in May 2026, so every Model S you buy now is used or leftover stock.

Knowing the era matters more on a Model S than on any other Tesla, because the hardware gap between a 2013 and a 2023 is enormous: different touchscreen computer, different Autopilot sensors, even a different onboard charger that changes which Tesla Wall Connector setup makes sense at home.

Five Model S eras at a glance

The Model S refresh years in detail

April 2016 facelift. Announced April 12, 2016: the black nose cone gave way to a body-color front, a HEPA filter with Bioweapon Defense Mode became an option, and the base price rose from $70,000 to $71,500. The change owners notice in the garage is charging: the 40 A single charger and 80 A dual-charger option were replaced by 48 A standard and 72 A optional. The 2016 model year straddles this change, so a 2016 can be either car.

April 2019 Raven update. On April 23, 2019 the Model S got a permanent-magnet front motor and fully adaptive air suspension. Long Range was rated 370 miles, and in June 2020 the Long Range Plus became the first EV rated over 400 miles (402). HW3 entered production around the same time.

2021 Palladium refresh. Revealed in January 2021: a new interior with a yoke and no stalks, a 17-inch horizontal screen, an 8-inch rear screen, a heat pump, an AMD Ryzen computer and the tri-motor Plaid (about 1,020 hp, a Tesla-claimed 1.99-second 0 to 60 with 1 ft of rollout). Long Range was rated 405 miles. A round wheel came back as a no-cost option for 2023.

June 2025 final update. Sold as the 2026: Frost Blue paint, new wheels, a quieter cabin, revised bushings, a front bumper camera, adaptive driving beams and ambient lighting. Tesla said Model S and Model X production ended around May 10, 2026, closing with 250 Signature Series cars at $159,420.

Every Model S year and its record

Recall counts come from the NHTSA API as of October 2026 and include software fixes sent over the air. NHTSA published 5-star overall ratings for some 2013 to 2016 versions; from 2017 on, Model S records carry at most a rollover rating (5 stars), so crash ratings do not help you choose between later years.

Hardware and charger by model year

The touchscreen computer (MCU), the Autopilot hardware and the onboard charger are the three things that age a Model S fastest. Confirm any of them on the car: Controls, Software, Additional Vehicle Information for the computers, and the charging screen for maximum amps.

Two sensor changes are not in the table. Radar left North American Model S builds from mid-February 2022, and ultrasonic parking sensors were dropped during 2023.

Charging an older Model S at home

The Model S home charging ceiling fell twice, from 80 A to 72 A to 48 A, which is why an older one can be worth more to a buyer who already owns a high-amp Gen 2 unit.

• Classic cars with a single charger take 40 A (9.6 kW). EPA quoted about 12 hours for a full 85 kWh charge at 240 V on this charger. A 50 A breaker covers it; a 60 A Gen 3 Wall Connector works but the car still draws 40 A.
• Classic cars with dual chargers take 80 A (19.2 kW), about 5 hours for a full 85 kWh charge. Only a Gen 2 Wall Connector set for a 100 A breaker can supply that. If you have the 80 A car and a Gen 3 unit, you are paying for hardware you cannot use; see why the older Gen 2 matters.
• Facelift cars with the 72 A option take about 17.3 kW, but only on a Gen 2 unit on a 90 A breaker.
• Everything else, including all Raven and refreshed cars, takes 48 A. Tesla lists the Model S at up to 41 miles of range per hour on a 60 A circuit, and about 9 to 9.5 hours from empty to full for a roughly 95 to 98 kWh pack by our math.

A breaker above 60 A and the heavier wire it needs is a job for a licensed electrician with a permit; our Wall Connector wiring guide walks through what is involved, and the amp setting guide covers the standard Gen 3 options. On a 14-50 outlet with today's Mobile Connector, any Model S is limited to 32 A.

Best and worst Model S years

Best value: 2020 Long Range Plus. 402 miles EPA, HW3, MCU2, radar and parking sensors still fitted, adaptive air suspension, 11 recalls and just 80 owner complaints. No heat pump and the older interior are the trade-offs. Supercharging peak varies by build (200, 225 or 250 kW), so ask.

Best newer car: 2023 or 2024. HW4 (2023 builds from about March), a round-wheel option, 405 or 402 miles. The 2024 has six recalls; check 25V002000, a computer board short that can kill the rearview camera and may need a computer replacement, and the driver air bag recall 24V967000.

Approach with care:

• 2012 to 2014. Out of the 8-year battery and drive unit warranty. MCU1 eMMC failure (recall 21V035), early drive unit failures (Edmunds' long-term 2013 had three replacements in about 18 months), Bosch power steering bolt corrosion (18V204), Takata inflators, and 3G-only modems on cars built before June 2015 that need a $200 LTE retrofit. No Autopilot hardware before mid-September 2014.
• 2015 and 2016. The two largest NHTSA complaint files of any Model S year. Consumer Reports dropped its recommendation in October 2015 over drivetrain, door handle and touchscreen faults. Still MCU1.
• 2021. Twenty-four recall campaigns, including service-visit air bag fixes (21V868000, 22V104000, 24V967000) and front belt anchors (23V488000). Edmunds also reported brake fade on a Plaid after repeated hard runs.

Some 2012 to 2019 cars also lost range to a 2019 battery-management update (NHTSA petition DP19-005); a 2021 class settlement paid affected owners. A battery health check before purchase answers more than any year guide.

What to check on a used Model S

1. Decode the era from the build date, not the title, especially for 2016, 2019 and 2021.
2. Read the computers screen. MCU1 cars should show the 21V035 repair or the paid MCU2 upgrade.
3. Read the charging screen. 40, 48, 72 or 80 A tells you which Wall Connector and breaker make sense.
4. Confirm the modem. Pre-June 2015 cars without LTE lost connectivity when AT&T shut down 3G in 2022.
5. Search the VIN at NHTSA and get receipts for service recalls: Takata, steering bolts, air bags, seat belts, camera alignment.
6. Check software-limited packs. Cars badged 40, 60 or 60D may have larger packs held back in software; range on the screen tells you what was paid for.
7. Verify charging adapters. Older S may need a $380 retrofit plus adapter for CCS fast charging; see charging a Tesla at a non-Tesla station.

The Tesla Model X years guide covers the SUV built alongside it, and the Tesla by model year index lines up every Tesla on one grid.