Tesla to stop selling the base-variants of the Model S and X, says Elon Musk

Tesla will stop selling the base variants of its Model S sedans and Model X SUVs from 14 January onwards.Company CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that Tesla would no longer take orders for the 75 kWh version of both the Models.The 100 kWh battery versions of the S and X which are the higher-end models will continue to sell. However, the prices of the models will be increased, according to a report by CNBC. After this change take effect, the prices will change. The starting price for a new Model S will be $94,000 and the starting price for a Model X will be $97,000.[caption id="attachment_5870631" align="alignnone" width="1024"]

Tesla model S. Image: Tesla[/caption]There is no information about why the base models are being discontinued.Last week, Tesla announced breaking ground for its Shanghai Gigafactory, which is the company's first outside the US. In Shanghai, Tesla will begin manufacturing both batteries and the Model 3 electric vehicles by year-end.Company chief Elon Musk tweeted in a Twitter thread, ahead of the start of construction of the site, that the factory will produce affordable versions of the Model 3 and Model Y for greater China. Tesla plans to produce its Model 3 and Model Y cars in the initial phase of production at the Shanghai plant, with an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles. High-volume Model 3 production in Gigafactory 3 is expected to start sometime in 2020.Also, the parents of a Florida teenager who was killed when a Tesla sedan crashed and caught fire last year are suing the electric car company alleging that the battery pack on its electric Model S is defective and can erupt into intense fires.