--- description: Elon Musk hinted last week that Tesla would be announcing something big. What could "the D" be? title: What to Expect When Tesla's Elon Musk "Unveils the D" on Thursday image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # What to Expect When Elon Musk's Tesla 'Unveils the D' by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 9, 2014 4:14 PM CUT by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 9, 2014 4:14 PM CUT Elon Musk, CEO of renowned electric car and battery maker [Tesla](http://www.teslamotors.com/ "undefined") and pronouncer of cryptic hints, tweeted last week that his company would be announcing something enigmatically called “the D” on Thursday. And also, “something else.” > [](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/517486950589014016) Speculation about what “the D” and “something else” could possibly be has run the gamut, but there are a few salient theories that seem to make sense. Here’s a rundown of the two most likely things we’ll see Musk and Tesla reveal at 7 p.m. PST Thursday: **Tesla Model S with All-Wheel Drive** The vast majority of high-end luxury cars in the price range of the [Tesla Model S](http://www.teslamotors.com/models "undefined") (which is priced from $71,000 before tax credits or rebates) offer all-wheel drive, something the Model S lacks. Most luxury car shoppers expect all-wheel drive and are willing to pay a premium for it. The Model S is in the prime market for all-wheel drive, and the feature could add sales to its forecasted 35,000 deliveries this year. Practically speaking, the added feature would be feasible as well: the company’s forthcoming Model X SUV will be all-wheel drive, which means that Tesla knows it’s a feature people want. Plus, there’s physical space in the Model S to fit a second drive unit in the front. Does “D” stand for “dual-motor”? We’ll find out soon. **Driverless Capability** Another rumor is that Tesla will announce some form of automated driving technology for the Model S. In a note to investors, Barclays analyst Brian Johnson said he expects a lane-keeping system for highway driving, and an unnamed source told [_Automotive News_](http://www.autonews.com/article/20141009/OEM/310099976/tesla-to-end-the-d-suspense "undefined") _that_ Tesla will also add cruise control that matches the speed of other vehicles. Tesla doesn’t yet have collision avoidance technologies or pre-collision braking, features that could be added to the already high-tech Model S to make it even safer. And Bloomberg reported last year that Musk was discussing [driverless technology with Google](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/tesla-ceo-talking-with-google-about-autopilot-systems.html "undefined"). Like an all-wheel drive function, Tesla is in a pretty good position to add automated driving: “Also, it’s interesting that Tesla has a technical relationship with \[Mercedes-Benz parent company\] Daimler, which is pretty much on the forefront of autonomous systems,” said Matt DeLorenzo, managing editor of Kelley Blue Book, the [LA _Times_ reports](http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-what-to-expect-from-tesla-elon-musk-tonight-20141008-story.html "undefined"). **Both of the Above** After all, it is “The D” and “something else.” **Neither of the Above** The rumors get a little out there, too, which is probably exactly what Musk wants from a marketing perspective. The “D” could stand for “drop top,” as in a convertible, said one analyst to the [San Jose _Mercury News_](http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci%5F26649713/tesla-motors-unveil-d-oct-9 "undefined"). Another analyst said it could stand for “delivery,” like a truck for pizza or flower deliveries. Or ice cream! Stay tuned for the announcement on Thursday at 7 p.m. PST. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3484869/tesla-elon-musk-unveil-d/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3484869/tesla-elon-musk-unveil-d/"},"headline":"What to Expect When Elon Musk's Tesla 'Unveils the D'","datePublished":"2014-10-09T16:14:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:03:22.395Z","description":"Elon Musk hinted last week that Tesla would be announcing something big","url":"https://time.com/3484869/tesla-elon-musk-unveil-d/","keywords":["Tech","Autos","Elon Musk","Tesla"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3484869/tesla-elon-musk-unveil-d/","name":"What to Expect When Elon Musk's Tesla 'Unveils the D'"}}]}] ```