Tesla now delivers a version of the Model S which can even go longer than the Model S Long Range Plus which was officially rated at 647 kms (402 miles), which was a record for electric vehicles. Electrek first reported that the Monroney sticker on the newly produced Model S Plus showed a EPA combined range of 658 kms (409 miles) on a single charge, though Tesla has updated nothing on its website. The reason on how the range is improved is still unknown. It can be due to some software updates or hardware upgrades, which Tesla is yet to confirm.
The previous Model S Long Range had a range of 402 miles with MPGe rating of 121 in the city and 112 on the highway thus having a combined range of 117 MPGe rating. But, the Monroney sticker on the reported vehicle shows a lower efficiency. It was rated with an MPGe rating of 119 in the city and 113 on the highway, which makes up to an overall 116 MPGe rating. As compared to the previous rating, Tesla improved on the highway efficiency whereas the efficiency in the city declined.
The point to note is that the new car has a lower efficiency but a better range. This could be possible if Tesla is using a higher energy dense battery. Tesla recently revamped the battery in the Model 3 and improved the energy capacity though the batteries used in Model S is different as that used in Model 3.
Lucid, who is the main competitor of Tesla in the electric car market, unveiled the base variant of their luxury sedan Air a few months after Tesla increased the range of Model S to 402 miles. When the Air was revealed a few months ago, it had a range of 406 miles which was 4 miles more than the Model S. Now, with the updated Model S with a maximum range of 409 miles Tesla is proving to be a tough competition for Lucid both in terms of range and pricing.