Tesla's recent decision to end Model S and Model X production left enthusiasts wondering whether the company still has a place for high-performance passenger cars. New comments from Tesla's engineering leadership suggest the answer is a cautious "maybe" — and that a tri-motor Model 3 Plaid is at least on the minds of the people who would build it.
"I think about it all the time": the Model 3 Plaid
Lars Moravy, Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, has confirmed that a tri-motor Model 3 Plaid is an idea he actively considers, even pointing to carbon-sleeved motors as the kind of hardware such a car would use. "I think about it all the time," Moravy said — but he was equally clear that it is not a priority.
He framed the project as a "work for reward" decision that simply does not clear Tesla's current priority bar. In other words, the engineering team can imagine the car, but the business case has to compete with everything else on Tesla's plate.
Roadster, Robotaxi and Optimus come first
What sits above a hot-rod Model 3 on that priority list is telling. Moravy pointed to three programmes absorbing Tesla's engineering attention: the next-generation Roadster, the expansion of Robotaxi operations, and the Optimus humanoid robot. Moravy and design chief Franz von Holzhausen confirmed that the long-delayed Roadster will be manufactured in Texas.
For now, a Model 3 Plaid is an engineer's daydream rather than a product on the roadmap — an important distinction for anyone tempted to delay a purchase while waiting for it.
Model S and Model X: never say never
The comments are especially interesting in the context of Tesla's flagship sedan and SUV. As TeslAnt reported when Tesla built the final Model S and Model X, the company has wound down the Fremont line that produced them for over a decade. Asked whether the two models could ever return, Moravy declined to rule it out, saying he would "never say never."
That is not a commitment — but it does leave the door ajar for a future, more advanced flagship should Tesla's priorities shift.
What it means for European buyers
For European customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. There is no confirmed Model 3 Plaid, no return date for the Model S or Model X, and no European Roadster timeline. These are engineering musings, not announcements. Buyers shopping today should base their decision on the cars Tesla actually sells now — chiefly the Model 3 and Model Y — rather than on performance variants that remain firmly hypothetical.