Tesla has showed off its long-awaited Model X electric sports-utility vehicle (SUV), offering a family-friendly seven seats coupled with 762HP and a supercar-rivalling 3.2 second 0-100MPH time.
The family-friendly SUV offers more space than Tesla’s Model S, without compromising much of the range and performance offered by the smaller the sibling model.
More than 4,000 guests attended Tesla’s Model X launch, consisting of Tesla employees and owners of other Tesla models. The automaker then handed over the keys to six lucky customers who are now owners of the practical yet lightning-quick SUV.
Check out the Tesla Model X video here.
Tesla has an estimated 25,000 pre-orders both online and in-store and plans to fulfill the orders within 8-12 months, according to Reuters.
The Model X will reportedly be priced at up to $US144,000 for customers wanting the revolutionary crossover.
According to a Reuters report, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told reporters ahead of a launch event near the company’s Fremont factory, that Tesla could have done less with the Model X.
“I think we got a little carried away with the X. There is far more there than is really necessary to sell a car. And some of the things are so difficult, they make the car better but the difficulty of engineering those parts is so high,” Musk said.
The Model X is expected to be the fastest and safest SUV on the market, and Tesla predicts the model will receive 5-stay safety ratings across all categories based on a range of testing and its low center of gravity.
The SUV uses all-wheel drive, two electric motors and a 90 kWh battery to provide a range of 250 miles, while still offering a 3.2 second 0-60MPH time in ‘Ludicrous Mode’.
When describing the many features of the Model X, Musk said it was “the hardest car to build in the world”.
A more obscure feature is what Tesla calls the ‘Bioweapon Defense Mode’, which protects you against bacteria, toxic gas and other dangerous contaminants. Specific details on how the system works exactly are not yet known.
Investors are hoping the Model X will bring profits for Tesla, after years of losses and high spending.
