Tesla has announced a series of upgrades for its Model S saloon and Model X SUV, including a range improvement of more than 10% for Long Range models. 

The American EV maker claims to have substantially upgraded the drive unit fitted to both cars, introducing the “optimised permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor” from the Model 3, and using silicon carbide in the unit’s electronics. Redesigned gearing, new bearings and improved cooling and lubrication boost all-round motor efficiency. 

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The result is a claimed EPA cycle range of 370 miles for the top-spec Model S and 325 miles for the equivalent Model X. This is apparently achieved without any changes to the 100kWh battery pack in both cars. 

At the same time, Tesla claims to have improved power and torque “significantly” without quoting specific figures. Charging times have come down, too, with both cars capable of achieving 200kW on the latest ‘V3’ Superchargers and 145kW on the more common ‘V2’ Superchargers.