Tesla is giving its base Model S electric sedan a boost in battery — and price.
The auto maker on Wednesday introduced the new Model S 70D, an all-wheel drive electric sedan with a 70-kilowatt-hour battery. The car has a top speed of 140 mph and can accelerate to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.
"Even at a starting price of $75k, the Model S 70D offers a broad and compelling set of features," the Tesla Motors Team wrote in a blog post Wednesday. That includes: independently operational front and rear motors, free long distance travel on Tesla's supercharger network, autopilot hardware, maps and navigation with real-time traffic updates, and blind spot detection.
Tesla argues that the actual cost of owning the car is much cheaper than its $75,000 price tag. "When one factors in the cost advantages over an internal combustion engine vehicle, including fuel savings and incentives, the actual cost of owning Model S 70D comes to about $55k over five years (the average length of new car ownership)," the team wrote.
As with every Model S, the 70D will receive free over-the-air updates in the future to add functionality and improve the driving experience. The new model comes after Tesla last month sought to quell range anxiety fears with a software update for the Model S that automatically routes a car through Tesla's network of supercharging stations in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The 70D also comes in three new colors: Ocean Blue (pictured), Obsidian Black, and Warm Silver. It's available to order today on Tesla's website.
The news comes ahead of a "major new product line" from Tesla, expected on April 30. Musk teased the big reveal on Twitter, and had few other details, except that the announcement is "not a car."
For more, check out The Hottest Cars at the 2015 New York Auto Show in the slideshow above.