Tesla has officially launched the newest versions of its flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, but the changes are pretty slim, which is something we expected when a couple cars were spotted during public testing recently.

The new “refreshed” Model S and Model X were spotted recently by The Kilowatts, and the changes appeared to be a new front camera, a new color, and only a handful of other changes.

Tesla officially announced the launch of the Model S and Model X on Thursday night, and here’s what it listed as the changes to the two vehicles:

Model S & X are now even better – launching today in the US 🇺🇸

Highlights:

– Frost Blue paint color

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– Up to 410 miles of range (Model S Long Range – our longest range Tesla yet)

– Even quieter inside: less wind + road noise & more effective Active Noise Cancellation

– New… pic.twitter.com/i4PcEklOWj

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 13, 2025

• Frost Blue paint color
• Up to 410 miles of range (Model S Long Range – our longest range Tesla yet)
• Even quieter inside: less wind + road noise & more effective Active Noise Cancellation
• New wheel designs & improved aerodynamics = more range
• Front fascia camera for better visibility
• Dynamic ambient lighting that brings unique animations along the dash & doors upon entry
• An even smoother ride thanks to new bushings & suspension design
• Adaptive driving beams
• New exterior styling for Model S Plaid, optimized for high-speed stability
• More space for 3rd row occupants & cargo (Model X)

We expected most of these changes, especially the new Frost Blue paint color, as it was spotted by The Kilowatts in its initial coverage of the cars being spotted a few weeks back. Here’s what it looks like officially:

Some of the changes are familiar from the Model Y Refresh, which featured the quieter interior through acoustic-lined glass, a front fascia camera, new bushings, and suspension improvements for a smoother ride.

However, Tesla did refine the Model S Plaid’s exterior for “optimized high-speed stability.” You can see the difference between the two below:

The front-end air diffusers are much deeper, and the front end is more boxy than the previous iteration of the Plaid Model S.

Here are some more images of the Model S that Tesla released in a teaser video:

Tesla sells such a low volume of the Model S and Model X that it was probably less than likely that the company would put endless manpower and effort into completely redesigning it. CEO Elon Musk said a few years ago that the two cars would only stay in production for “sentimental reasons.” 

While they are very special to the Tesla family, they are not incredibly important to the mission of the company.

Tesla owners are already preparing for the company’s launch of the Robotaxi platform with a new, neat customization that is appearing around the world.

On Tuesday, the first Tesla Robotaxi test mule was spotted in Austin, where the company will launch the first driverless rides of this ride-hailing service. At first, it will be a limited rollout, reserved for a select few. CEO Elon Musk said public rides could occur as soon as June 22.

First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX

However, the Tesla Robotaxi platform is not one that will be confined to cities and geofenced to certain areas.

Eventually, Tesla will gain enough confidence to roll the Full Self-Driving software straight to every car in the customer fleet that paid for it. Owners will be able to generate income for themselves while they sleep, as the cars will operate as ride-hailing vehicles for people to use for transportation.

In an effort to prepare for the launch of Robotaxi, Tesla owners across the globe are installing Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ word art on their cars.

Here’s one in South Korea:

🚨ROBOTAXIS SPOTTED IN 🇰🇷SOUTH KOREA TOO! $TSLA

It’s not official, just vinyl wraps, but you should sell these!pic.twitter.com/mViKuIV96P pic.twitter.com/fuYpvuOjic

— Tesla Archive (@tesla_archive) June 12, 2025

Here’s another in the U.S.:

🚀 Transform your ride into a vision of the future with our Robotaxi sticker set. 🌟

Your Tesla isn’t just a car—it’s a symbol of innovation and style. Be the trendsetter you were born to be and let your vehicle spark inspiring conversations wherever you go. ✨😎

Grab yours… pic.twitter.com/wTJPmnsO1X

— TESBROS (@teslabros) June 12, 2025

Obviously, this is more of a symbol of support for the Robotaxi launch, but many owners are recognizing that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software will extend to them the ability to use their personal cars as ride-hailing vehicles, becoming a part of the global fleet of self-driving chauffeurs.

These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving! https://5023w.roads-uae.com/n94ln0Uas6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2025

Tesla is suing former Optimus engineer Jay Li in federal court after accusing him of stealing trade secrets and using them to enable a startup he founded after he left.

Li is accused of stealing confidential files and using them to help get his company, “Proception,” off to a rocking start. Tesla says the files Li took helped his new startup “shortcut the typical development process” for robot hands, something that took Tesla years to develop and evolve.

The company said in the complaint (via Reuters):

“Through Li’s pilfering, Defendant Proception purportedly achieved in a matter of months what it has taken Tesla over four years, hundreds of employees, and billions of dollars to achieve.”

Li was an employee at Tesla for several years, working on the Optimus sensor team from 2022 to 2024. The company says it utilized and devoted “extraordinary resources” to the development of Optimus, which has come a long way since its unveiling several years ago.

Tesla Optimus to receive hands with 22 degrees of freedom later this year

Li allegedly downloaded confidential files related to Optimus’ robotic hand movement research before departing the company. He did not work on the hands at the time. However, he left and swiftly started Proception, as the suit states the company was founded just six days after he left Tesla.

Proception was gloating about its ability to build robotic hands just five months after the company was founded. Tesla says the hands have “striking similarities” to its own design for Optimus.

The company is looking for monetary damages and a court order that would block Proception from misusing the secrets it accuses Li of taking.

This is not the first suit Tesla has filed over trade secrets and confidential information theft. Recently, it accused German-Canadian dual citizen Klaus Pflugbeil of stealing battery-related secrets. He was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.

Men accused of selling Tesla battery secrets arrested in undercover sting

The U.S. Department of Justice used an undercover sting to arrest Pflugbeil.

Tesla is being represented by Josh Krevitt, Orin Snyder, and Angelique Kaounis of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

The case is Tesla Inc. v. Perception Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 5:25-cv-04963.