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Tesla is a company known for innovation in terms of a car’s powertrain and interior tech. While Teslas are equipped with high-tech features like over-the-air update capability, Teslas missed some tech features that customers wanted. One of those highly-requested features is a swivel screen, and Tesla has already started rolling them out for specific Tesla models. 

Some Tesla customers won’t have to shop in the aftermarket for swivel screens anymore

The inside of a Tesla displaying the Tesla screen.
Tesla interior | Getty Images

According to Edmunds, Tesla customers who buy a Model 3 or a Model Y can add an aftermarket swivel screen to their Tesla for about $200. It’s a neat feature to have as it’ll allow drivers or passengers the ability to orient the Tesla’s 15-inch touch screen to face the driver or the passenger. This makes it easier for folks to view the screen as it can reduce reflections and glare.

This aftermarket option wasn’t available on the Model S and the Model X because of how Tesla designed the screens in those models. The Model S and X’s 17-inch touch screens were embedded into the dashboard, making an aftermarket upgrade practically impossible. But, according to Edmunds, Tesla’s changed all of that recently.

At the end of April 2022, Tesla started producing Model S and Xs with a swivel screen. This means that Tesla customers who buy those cars won’t even have to go to the aftermarket for this option. The screens are moved around by an electric motor, which can be moved with on-screen buttons. You simply hold down on the direction, and it’ll swivel the screen in that direction. That said, these screens only move horizontally and not vertically as aftermarket options can.

An overview of the Tesla Model S

The fact that Tesla is rolling out this new swivel screen feature on the Model S and the Model X but not the Model 3 and the Model Y isn’t too surprising. After all, the Model S and the Model X are two of the most expensive Teslas customers can buy. As a result, not only is the Model S loaded with premium and luxury features, but it also has some impressive specs.

The starting MSRP is around $100,000. The Model S gets about 670 hp from its dual electric motors, though it can get over 1,000 hp if folks choose the Plaid trim. Either way, the Model S will be fast, as it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, and the Plaid trim cuts that time down even more. The standard Model S gets a range of about 412 miles, and the Plaid trim loses some range, but it’ll still get about 390 miles.

An overview of the Tesla Model X

The Model X is similar to the Model S in many ways, as it’s a very high-end EV that starts at over $115,000. Since the Model X is an SUV, its bigger size will give customers and their families more room to work with, but at the cost of performance. Still, the Model X has similar horsepower ratings as the Model S, but its 0 to 60 mph time with the standard powertrain is slower at 3.8 seconds.

The Model X’s extra size also lowers its range numbers significantly, though it will still have plenty of it. The standard Model X gets about 351 miles of range, while the Plaid trim gets 335 miles.