Tesla has started offering upgraded brake pad kits for the Model S and Model X Plaid in the United States.
According to emails Tesla sent to Model S and Model X customers, owners of eligible vehicles can now buy upgraded higher thermal capacity (HTC) brake pad kits for $750, while owners of eligible Plaid vehicles can upgrade to a Red Caliper Kit with higher thermal capacity pads for $2,700.
According to Sawyer Merritt, Tesla is currently sending out emails to Plaid owners to start scheduling service appointments.
In the email sent to customers, the company says the upgraded brake pads offer “better pedal feel, braking predictability, and slower brake fade onset.”
This is good to know seeing as the stock brake pads for the Model S and Model X offer subpar performance, which is especially obvious on the high-performance Plaid variants.
Tesla notes in the email that a separate upgrade kit for red calipers is now available for Plaid vehicles. This kit enables owners of Model S and Model X Plaid cars to switch to red calipers on the front brakes and red caliper covers on the rear brakes, in addition to getting the higher thermal capacity (HTC) brake pads.
This will bring older Tesla Model S and Model X Plaid vehicles in line with the latest variants of the vehicles, which come standard with both the brake pads and red calipers upgrades starting January 12, 2023.
It’s worth pointing out that Tesla is also offering a $20,000 Track Package for the Model S Plaid that includes new carbon-silicon carbide rotors, one-piece forged calipers with high-performance pads, and track-ready brake fluid, among other upgrades.
Tesla has made several updates to the Model S and Model X at the end of August, including dropping the Standard Range trims for both models and making all of its premium paint options free for the electric sedan and SUV.
More importantly, Tesla has also made steep price cuts. The Model S Long Range saw a 15-percent price cut, while the Model S Plaid saw a 17-percent cut. Tesla also slashed the price of the Model X Long Range by 18.8 percent and the Model X Plaid by about 17 percent.
Interestingly, Tesla also made the controversial yoke steering wheel a $1,000 option for the Model S and Model X, despite the fact it was initially the default choice for the refreshed Model S and Model X launched in 2021 and then a no-cost option from January 2023 when Tesla introduced a round steering wheel.