Tesla’s First Model X Electric SUV Is Finally Hitting the Roads
The car that everyone is talking about is Tesla’s First Model X Electric SUV. The electric vehicle maker, Tesla wants to conquer the family hauler.
The company is known for its sporty two-seater and elegant sedans, but this is totally out of the ordinary.
Tesla’s first electric SUV is the only all-electric SUVs on the market and it was officially unveiled by Tesla motors on Tuesday night.
The CEO Elon Musk said that the model sets a new bar for automotive engineering because of its unique features like rear falcon-wing doors.
Those doors open upward, and the driver’s door opens on approach and closes itself when the driver is inside.
“All these things together make the car amazing,” he said.
The Model X is Tesla’s third vehicle, after the Roadster, which was discontinued in 2012, and the Model S sedan.
They expect for this new model to attract new customers, especially women to the brand.
“If Tesla’s going to be a more significant player, they need more products, and SUVs are what the market is demanding,” said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with the car buying site AutoTrader.com.
Musk said Tesla expects about half of its sales to be SUVs.
That’s not all. Only a fraction of the wealthiest people will be able to afford the Model X, even with a $7,500 federal tax credit.
A fully loaded performance model is $142,000; exact pricing of the base model hasn’t been released, but Musk said the Model X will cost $5,000 more than an equivalent Model S, or around $93,000.
The CEO also said the company will eventually offer a less expensive variant with a smaller battery.
Tesla’s first electric SUV shares a platform and motor with the Model S, which is made at the same factory.
The Model X has a 90 kilowatt-hour battery and comes with all-wheel drive.
The 90D version will go 257 miles on a full charge, while the P90D performance version will go 250 miles. Tesla’s high-speed “ludicrous mode” is offered on the P90D; it goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds.
Consisting of three rows, the car includes seven seats. The front windshield, which Tesla says is the biggest in the industry, sweeps back and over the front seats.
Navigation, music and cabin controls are accessed through a 17-inch dashboard touch screen.
But the car’s most amazing feature is the double-hinged falcon-wing doors. The same doors were among the reasons why they delayed the launch of the Model X several times.
Musk announced plans for the Model X in 2012; it was initially expected to go on sale in early 2014.
Musk says the company “got a little carried away” and might have designed the Model X differently if it had known the final engineering costs and manufacturing complexity.
“I’m not sure anyone should make this car,” he said. “There’s far more there than is really necessary to sell the car.”
25,000 people have already placed orders for the X, Musk said, which make the customers who put in an order now to wait up to a year for the car.
What do you think? Would you buy one?
