Right-hand-drive Tesla Model S, Model X no longer available

Tesla confirmed it's no longer offering right-hand-drive variants of the Model S and the Model X. Both EVs are now left-hand-drive only purportedly in a bid to keep costs in check by streamlining the production process, and the firm is giving buyers in right-hand-drive markets several options.

Citing an anonymous Tesla representative, British magazine Autocar reported that the right-hand-drive S and X models have been canned "due to the mechanical and logistical complexity added by the conversion." In many ways, this move hardly comes as a surprise: Tesla has historically offered fewer paint colors, upholstery colors and options than its rivals to make its production process as simple as possible.

This isn't a temporary move; the S and the X will be left-hand-drive-only "for the foreseeable future," according to the report. It adds that, beyond making the production process more streamlined, axing the right-hand-drive versions will also help Tesla improve build quality.