18 ms·

Tesla Model X

379 points by m0th87 13y ago

lukeqsee 13y ago
I am blown away by how the doors open. I've never seen someone tackle the "oops. I'll be bumping/almost scratching into the 7-series next to me when I open my door" problem so elegantly. Edit: typo.
- deleted 13y ago
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- WestCoastJustin 13y ago
  The Gull-wing [1] doors have been around for a while, you probably noticed them on the DeLorean from Back to the Future series. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG [2] is a modern car which also has them. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gull-wing_door http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gull-wing_door [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLS_AMG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLS_AMG
  - dllu 13y ago
    Note that the "Falcon Wings" are not exactly the same as regular gull-wings. The Falcon Wings have an additional joint where the roof part meets the window (see picture: http://i.imgur.com/htiMVlP.png http://i.imgur.com/htiMVlP.png). This reduces the overall height requirement when the door is opened.
- redact207 13y ago
  The falcon wings - rather the gull wings - have been around forever. The problem is that you need a significant roof height in order for them to open. Ever tried parking in a cramped multi-storey car park? You'll be crawling out of your car via the foot well. It's the main reason they've never taken off, but I'm guessing only the rear doors are like this.
  - borlak 13y ago
    Also a bit problematic if you happen to roll your car over on its top...
    - timcederman 13y ago
      Hence the explosive bolts.
      - borlak 13y ago
        It doesn't have explosive bolts.
    - Recoil42 13y ago
      FWIW, the SLS gets around this by having explosive bolts in the hinges that blow when the car is past something like 90˚ in orientation and has a velocity of 0 for more than N seconds. However, the SLS is a $300k car, so no expense is spared. That solution might be a little less feasible for a car that costs what the Model X will.
      - ilikepi 13y ago
        I dunno, given the other story today[1] about the Tesla S blowing away everyone else in safety tests, I wouldn't put it past them to have considered escapability after a roll-over in the X. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6240862 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6240862
- gilgoomesh 13y ago
  Gull wing doors seem great unless you're tall (anything over 6 foot). For tall people they smack you in the head every time.
- stevewilhelm 13y ago
  Wondering where the Moments', O'Neill's, Burtons', Eddylines', and Cervelo's are supposed to go.
- induscreep 13y ago
  I am right now wondering why my commodity car doesn't have this feature - have the engineers even thought of it? It's ridiculous how the latest 2013 models have made incremental improvements compared to 1970s models. Sure they have better HP/torque curves and mileage/safety ratings, but automatic transmissions were invented LONG ago. Is there been ANY significantly new feature in the latest models?
  - kalleboo 13y ago
    Traction control, automatic braking, smart cruise control (follow the car in front), automatic park assist
- jared314 13y ago
  I've always been slightly enamored with the rotary drop doors that slide under the car [1]. I would never buy a car with them, but they are interesting none the less. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtkoje4-eM&t=35s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtkoje4-eM&t=35s
  - yannisp 13y ago
    Have you seen the Koenisegg doors? Those are my favorite... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxRpqeqFRY&t=150s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxRpqeqFRY&t=150s
  - simonebrunozzi 13y ago
    This is great. They should use these for the new Teslas.
  - rorrr2 13y ago
    The problem with these doors is the complexity and the fact that a simple tree branch stuck in it would completely fuck it up. The complexity means that it will break much more often than a regular door - it has motors and multiple pieces. Also imagine a child sticking a finger in it while it's closing, turning it into a meat grinder.
- notatoad 13y ago
  personally, I think the sliding doors on minivans are a more elegant solution to that problem. less stylish, but simpler design for the same utility and without compromising your roof.
  - robomartin 13y ago
    Agreed! I've come to really appreciate their utility. One of our vehicles has them and they are fantastic. Nice piece of mechanical engineering as well. And, BTW, not much wrong with conventional doors either. Judging by the tens of millions of cars sold every year wold wide I'd say conventional doors work pretty well.
  - aidenn0 13y ago
    the reason for gull-wings on the X is easy third-row access. with minivan doors you are limited in how far back they open
  - loceng 13y ago
    Can you rationally separate elegance and style ?
    - notatoad 13y ago
      depends what you mean by elegance. an "elegant solution" in engineering has very little to do with fashion, it's about solving a problem in a non-obvious but very clean and efficient way.
- lifeformed 13y ago
  I like that it provides an extra little bit of protection from the rain when stepping outside on a rainy day into a lobby or something.
  - briguy 13y ago
    I actually think the opposite. I would imagine that a driving rain will come in under the wings and into the top of the large cabin. Conventional doors are not perfect and the inside of the doors get wet, however these wings appear to allow the person sitting and seats to get wet.
- lloeki 13y ago
  > I've never seen someone tackle the "oops. I'll be bumping/almost scratching into the 7-series next to me when I open my door" problem so elegantly. In lower price ranges and in the supermini category, Peugeot made an attempt with 1007 [1]. The electric door design (by Delphi) was sound but the car was otherwise, with numerous other flaws, a failure in every sense. [1]: http://www.bibipedia.org/upload/gallery/images/Le_catalogue_des_voitures/Peugeot/1007/1007_2007_-_nt/Peugeot_1007_2007_-_nv_12.jpg http://www.bibipedia.org/upload/gallery/images/Le_catalogue_... [2]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmOyf9tiqo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmOyf9tiqo
- easytiger 13y ago
  Huh? They didn't invent gull wing doors. PLenty of exotic and general production cars have/had them. Never heard of the Delorean DMC-12? A real innovation would be doors that slide into the chasis like the BMW z1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cars_with_non-standard_door_designs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cars_with_non-standard_...
  - matthewaustin 13y ago
    Tesla's Falcon doors are not the same as Gull-wing doors. They have an additional joint which minimizes the horizontal space required, so you won't hit the car next to yours while getting in and out.
deleted 13y ago
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programminggeek 13y ago
What is absolutely stunning about what Tesla is building is simply that they are building gorgeous vehicles with great features/performance and they are charging appropriately for them. They aren't built to fit into a particular price range or demographic, they're built to be great vehicles, so that people will want to buy them. I'll admit it, I want to buy a Tesla, even if it makes no financial sense for me to do so.
- vertr07 13y ago
  They are definitely putting the design talent of every other American automaker to shame.
  - laureny 13y ago
    They are becoming the new Apple.
    - unalone 13y ago
      We need better design in the world in general. I'd hate to think only one company gets to be the designer-of-good-and-popular-things at a time.
  - Aloha 13y ago
    How is it substantively different on styling than a 2014 Focus 4 Door or Taurus. The styling is bland an unoriginal, it looks like every other car for sale these days, whats worse, its bland an expensive, I can afford a focus, I cant even begin to hope to afford a Model X.
    - ok_craig 13y ago
      Design is about more than the shell of the car. It is about everything, from the touch screen to the heads-up navigation, to the automatic handles, the interior space, and even the fact that it's electric. It's really just an amazing all-around car, and you can't make something like that without designing every detail.
obilgic 13y ago
Tesla is Apple of the car industry.
- Lerc 13y ago
  Someone had to do it. When the iPhone was initially released, I speculated whether Apple itself would one day go into cars. While the end product seems far from what they do they don't really sell specific products. They sell objects that people become attached to. they don't become attached because it is an Apple product, but because Apple sell products in the areas of things people become attached to. Computers, and Smartphones have that level of attachment. The other stand-out items are cars and houses. A lot of people define their identities by their choice of those items.
- samstave 13y ago
  Would you like to build the android of the car industry? I am in... but I can only hit pavement running at a much further level of dev than now...
adamkittelson 13y ago
Apologies if I'm missing something obvious, but is there anything new here regarding the Model X (e.g. pricing) or is this just an FYI for people who may not have been aware that it was a thing? At a glance I'm not seeing anything that looks to have changed recently on this page.
- gexla 13y ago
  Yeah, pricing would seem to be a critical piece of info for reservation. Unfortunately I can't see what happens when you click on the "reserve now" link because the JS doesn't work in my browser (Aurora on Linux.)
  - qu4z-2 13y ago
    I don't think it's your browser. It's not working properly under Firefox on Windows either.
nonchalance 13y ago
What's new here? I don't see any change from yesterday ...
- deleted 13y ago
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- robterrell 13y ago
  Agree that this isn't new. The only different bit is that, when I first looked at this page in February 212, it said deliveries would be in "Early 2014" and now it's just 2014.
  - nonchalance 13y ago
    It was announced earlier this year: http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-to-repay-federal-loans-five-years-early-20130308,0,5843577.story http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-to-repa... > The automaker said that potential customers awaiting its upcoming Model X--billed as the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan, in an electric car--were going to have to wait a bit longer. > Production on the Model X had been expected to begin late this year, with deliveries beginning in 2014. Production has now been pushed back to late 2014.
bencpeters 13y ago
This might not be as much of a problem for most of the target market, but I was really excited about the Tesla X until I heard about the doors - meaning no roof rack options at all. Here in Utah, I would love a nice, capable car in the snow with plenty of room for gear, but if I can't put mountain bikes on the roof or a roof box with skis on it in the winter, it's not very useful... Maybe I'm just not in the target demographic, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who wants roof racks on my electric SUV...
- chime 13y ago
  How about bike racks in the back? I wonder which placement is better for mileage due to aerodynamics: Top or back?
  - bencpeters 13y ago
    I generally do 2 in the back on a hitch rack, and 2 on the roof on my Subaru right now. (but I realize that car shuttles requiring 4 40lb downhill mountain bikes isn't exactly your typical use case for a car! It's just an important part of what I personally need it to do...) In my experience, bikes on the hitch rack hurt gas mileage less than the roof ones, but I haven't been super rigorous with the comparison...
  - avn2109 13y ago
    But... ski racks! So important for some people, and there's nowhere for them to go except on top.
    - chockablock 13y ago
      There are plenty of hitch-mounted ski racks (skis are held vertically).
- robterrell 13y ago
  I'm not sure you want to drive an electric car in the snow. Not that the torque wouldn't be great, but the cold would wreck your range.
rdl 13y ago
I am afraid it looks a little too much like an Aztek from the rear. I want a Model S AWD. The X doesn't have a single real trunk so it sucks if you park anywhere non secure. It does make the S v X v Blue Star decision a little harder.
- nonchalance 13y ago
  It's coming: http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/5/4592248/tesla-to-produce-all-wheel-drive-model-s-sedan-next-year http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/5/4592248/tesla-to-produce-al...
  - rdl 13y ago
    I assume at the cost of the frunk, which is ok.
    - greglindahl 13y ago
      The motor isn't that big; there'll still be some frunk left.
  - adamkittelson 13y ago
    That's awesome news, thanks! I've been considering getting a Tesla in 2015 when I've paid off my Volt, but I live in Wisconsin so the rear wheel drive was a deal breaker on the Model S. I like the Model S more than the Model X though so if it has an all wheel drive option that's probably the way I'll go. (Assuming the fabled more reasonably priced 3rd model hasn't been revealed and won me over by then).
- sebnukem2 13y ago
  What's wrong with the Aztek? I love the functional look of that car.
jamz 13y ago
broken reserve now page? http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx/own#/model-x http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx/own#/model-x
robomartin 13y ago
I guess I don't remember the falcon doors because this is a non-starter for me. It starts out talking about "best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan". Well, in my world that means electric sliding rear doors and the abilily to mount our kayaks, racing shells or bikes on the roof. What the hell were they thinking? The door has been left wide open for someone to do it right. I'll be in the market for two new SUV's by early 2014. That's when I expect to go past 250,000 miles on my current ones. I've been saying I was going to buy two Teslas. Now I can't see a way to even remotely consider the idea. Sadly this feels like a lot of other companies with roots in the Slicon Valley community: A bunch of really young guys making decisions completely outside the context of the realities of families in the real world. Keep your falcon doors, they sure are cool but they are a colosal failure to capture my reality and that of millions of other potential customers. EDIT: I secretly wanted Tesla to build a really nice electric boat as well. I envisioned buying the set: An electric SUV pulling an electric boat to the lake. No, instead they build a bullshit SUV that misses the "Sport" and "Utility" part in "SUV". All you are left with is a vehicle and a useless one if you truly use an SUV for an active lifestyle that involves more than skateboarding.
- nsxwolf 13y ago
  Whoah, falcon doors are a deal breaker for millions of potential customers? Are you sure? They're my favorite thing about the car. I hadn't even considered the issue with putting things on the roof, because I've never put anything on a roof before. I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't need that capability.
  - rdl 13y ago
    It's a lot more common among SUV and wagon owners than regular car owners. The dirty secret of small SUVs and crossovers is that if you have the rear seat full of passengers, there is very little room for their luggage. Generally when you take 4 people camping you need about twice as much equipment as when you take 2 people camping, but only have about 20% the space to fit it in. The exception is really big SUVs like the Yukon XL, but for small SUVs, a sedan like a Crown Vic actually has more luggage capacity when 4 passengers are in the vehicle. The hack to solve this is the roof rack. I think the best solution is still a diesel SUV/pickup, and a Model S (or smaller) electric car.
homosaur 13y ago
I like Tesla and I like this car okay, but that is not a crossover. I have a Nissan Rogue which is on the smaller side of the crossover range and the body height it still significant enough where you could tell it's certainly not a sedan even with a casual glance. The only similarity that has is the flat back. Good luck as well with those falcon wing doors when you're trying to park at your downtown football stadium or of course, wanting any roof accessories. Once again, not a crossover, because crossover basically means a small engine SUV. This is a sedan with a flat ass. Wouldn't there be major safety concerns during a rollover? How the hell would you get out of your burning Model X?
- zensavona 13y ago
  Presumably the same way you'd get out of your burning Mercedes SLS AMG http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/video-mercedes-benz-sls-amg-crash-test-video-shows-off-explodin/ http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/video-mercedes-benz-sls-a...
  - homosaur 13y ago
    Ah, henge pin charges, makes sense. I suppose you could just kick the doors off at that point.
- aschampion 13y ago
  Most normal car doors aren't going to open well after a rollover, either.
  - homosaur 13y ago
    That's absolutely true, but you also don't need a special mechanism to pop the hinges.
    - muhfuhkuh 13y ago
      I thought the jaws of life usually does the trick in a rollover whether its conventional, suicide, butterfly, or gullwing doors.
gcb0 13y ago
> promises 3rd car will be a cheap model that will change the world. Delivers soccer parent SUV. With lambo doors.
- michaelbuddy 13y ago
  This isn't the 3rd model of the sequence you're thinking. This is the 2nd Model.
  - deleted 13y ago
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- homosaur 13y ago
  Not even an SUV. They only made it flat and crossover-looking so they didn't have to admit it's basically a hatchback. Far closer to a wagon, honestly.
- stonemetal 13y ago
  http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/blog--tesla-to-add-cheaper-third-model-by-2017 http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/blog--tesla-to-add-chea... Evidently the roadster doesn't count.
Amadou 13y ago
Seems like the gullwing doors have the height issue to contend with, plus what are the chances you knock your 5-year old's chin on the way up? I drive a sporty 2-door SUV and what I've long hoped to find was a 2-door suv with sliding doors - basically mini-van doors. The Peugot 1007 is the only vehicle I've ever seen like that and it was a little too econo-box for my taste. http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/outdoor/peugeot-1007-handy-sliding-doors-7474055/ http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/outdoor/peugeot-1007-han...
- GraffitiTim 13y ago
  At the shareholder meeting a couple months ago, Elon Musk said the gullwing doors will have proximity and pinch sensors to prevent them from hitting anything. I don't know for sure if he was referring to the first version of Model X, but it seemed like it.
- andyjsong 13y ago
  >plus what are the chances you knock your 5-year old's chin on the way up? Probably the same chances that you will knock over your child when you swing open a conventional door. That being said, they'll learn quickly to step back from opening doors.
mrb 13y ago
No rear view mirrors? Replaced by cameras! Bold move.
Aloha 13y ago
It doesn't seem to tell me how much it is.. Generally if I have to ask the price, I probably can't afford it. I want an electric car, I want one with a range of about 400 miles, with charging stations to support it. jAs soon as the electric car is as easy for me to use as a gasoline powered one, I'm ready to drive one. For what it's worth, my line of work (making all those mobile devices work) requires an enormous amount of driving.
- cdash 13y ago
  That is because it is not for sale yet, all you can do is reserve it for 5,000 dollars but i would expect it to be around the same price as a model s.
  - Aloha 13y ago
    If I can reserve something, its functionally for sale, I should be able to see how much the total price of the vehicle is before reserving. I tried that, the reservation link seems broken.
  - ruswick 13y ago
    $5,000 is an incredible amount of money. If I were to spend that amount on a pre-order, I deserve to know what I'm paying for and how much it will cost me.
    - revelation 13y ago
      Thats why the reservation is fully refundable.
    - chrisgd 13y ago
      You have 14 days to decide once your number is called. Put the deposit on a new credit card with multiple bonus points in the first month. Get yourself a vacation for lending someone $5,000 when interest rates are so low and decide later.
- tekacs 13y ago
  'Will cost the same as a comparably specified Model S' - it's at the bottom (at least as I write this comment, it is). Edit: 'Deliveries will begin in 2014 and priced comparable to a similarly equipped Model S.' is the exact quote.
jasonkester 13y ago
One silly thing to keep in mind if you're in the UK or Europe: You'll need to wait longer to take it on the Channel Tunnel, since it needs to ride in a tall vehicle/truck/bus car, which doesn't go with every train. I sat in line for that compartment behind a Lamborghini Countach once. With like a 36 inch curb height, he could certainly fit in a normal compartment. But he couldn't open the doors, so he'd be stuck in the car the whole trip. First world problems...
- codfrantic 13y ago
  >so he'd be stuck in the car the whole trip. It's roughly a 30 minute trip. Would the wait for the different carriage be worth it ?
  - avar 13y ago
    You try convincing a train company that you'd like to be transported as cargo.
    - rplnt 13y ago
      I thought buses work this way - passengers stay in them?
    - codfrantic 13y ago
      I've been on this train on a tourbus, you're not expected / required to go out unless you want to use the bathroom. Maybe it's different for car transport. Imagine a normal train although slightly bigger where you yourself drive on and park. It's not an open carriage like a 'normal' car transport would use.
      - Swannie 13y ago
        It is different for car transport. Primarily for fire safety.
  - timclark 13y ago
    Unless you need to go to the toilet it is probably more comfortable to stay in your car. Not being able to get out of your car in an emergency would be a bigger problem.
broodbucket 13y ago
>We noticed you're visiting from Australia. Would you like to visit the Australian version of the site? It's ridiculous that the web is in such a state that I thought this was a very impressive feature. You either get redirected, occasionally against your will, or have to add .au to your current URL and hope it works.
- apapli 13y ago
  I clicked through on the AU link - doesn't look any different though!
- darklajid 13y ago
  No, that is exactly the only way to do it right. If I visit a link on HN, I want to reach the same site everyone's talking about. Not teslamotors.de or somesuch crap. I'm looking at you, Google, among other offenders. Offering a localized site, in a clearly visible but unobtrusive way, is a good choice and I'd like to see more sites adapt this pattern.
knocte 13y ago
So what is the price?
forgottenpaswrd 13y ago
This guys need to seriously consider redesigning the front plate. They put it there because all normal gas cars need it, but electric cars don't need it, or need a very small one. The rest of the car, I love it.
- monk_e_boy 13y ago
  I was expecting so much more from the front of the car, they could have gone really imaginitive with the design and practical use.
- Florin_Andrei 13y ago
  It seems to me the design is deliberately conservative for some reason.
  - dsuth 13y ago
    Yep. These are designed to look like 'normal' cars so as not to spook the generally conservative market. Mk II or III will be significantly different in design from today's car I think.
davidcollantes 13y ago
Reservations been taken, but anyone knows what the price(s) of the vehicle are?
jamesdelaneyie 13y ago
The tesla touchscreen looks absolutely massive. Really a bit too gaudy for my tastes. Then again it's just a mockup. Is that a screen behind the steering wheel?
- mikeash 13y ago
  The one in the Model S is indeed massive. It's tall enough to do a vertical split and have two different activities shown at once, top and bottom, if you set it up that way, and big enough to comfortably read a non-mobile web page. (Don't do that while driving, please.)
- Too 13y ago
  Screen only as instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is nothing new, other cars have this already. But I'm wondering, is that a live video of the road in front of you projected in that display?
smallegan 13y ago
I'm using chrome on this site and the experience seems subpar for such an amazing car. I click the link to see Elon's unveiling and I am brought to a page with a 360 click and drag that doesn't work.
Zoomla 13y ago
The body looks alot like the Honda Crosstour http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20121115/CARNEWS/121119899/AR/0/2013-Honda-Accord-Crosstour.jpg http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20121115/CARNEWS/12111...
ruswick 13y ago
Try as I might, I simply can't get worked up about Tesla. They make excellent toys for rich people, but are irrelevant to everyone who is not some sort of millionaire entrepreneur or high-paid executive. Electric vehicles are incredibly attractive and massively beneficial to society if they are adopted at scale. Unfortunately, Tesla seems content to cultivate an image as an ultra-luxury brand, and hasn't attempted to lower the barrier to entry for electric vehicles. I have no problem with companies that only want to sell expensive things to very wealthy people, but we can't possible pretend that companies like these will matter in the grand scheme of things. Wake me up when we can buy an electric car for $12,000.
- syncsynchalt 13y ago
  Not that far out then: http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-ev-electric-vehicle.html http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-ev-electric-vehicle.html
  - frogpelt 13y ago
    MSRP*1 as low as $19,185 Price after federal tax credit. Net price shown includes the full $7,500 tax credit*1. $26,685 MSRP* †,† without federal tax savings ranging from $0 up to $7,500. So, I can buy a Spark for only $20K and let the rest of America pay the other $7,500 for me. Sweet. I love an overbearing government!
- rkangel 13y ago
  Elon Musk's stated goal with Tesla is to bring electric cars to the masses. To do this, the price has to come down, and the price only comes down with volume, and you can't build the volume for a mass car from scratch without a low price. This is a classic Catch 22, and Tesla's strategy for this is to start at the higher end with performance and luxury cars, where the costs are more acceptable, refine the technology, learn the lessons, wait for battery prices to come down, build the brand and product volume and release cars closer and closer to mass market. Look at the history: we started with an sports car (the Roadster), which could get away with high price and average range by being quick, then a luxury sedan at a lower price point (Model S), now more of a family car (Model X). Affordable cars are in the pipeline, this is just the route we have to go through to get there. Personally, I think the strategy is masterful. Every other car manufacturer went straight to mass market, without taking into account that the economics didn't work.
mproud 13y ago
Are those cameras in place for side-view mirrors?
mercuryrising 13y ago
I remember watching an interview not too long ago about Elon being disappointed with how slowly the regulations around cars are to change. He mentioned specifically putting cameras in place of the side mirrors, and how Tesla petitioned to have the laws around it changed about 3 years ago. Looks like they succeeded in getting the laws changed. Seems weird that they went for the SUV crossover next. Although I guess that's the next rung on the ladder in order of bringing the price down. Fancy 2 seater -> Fancy sedan -> semi-fancy suv -> semi-fancy van | semi-fancy car.
- HeyLaughingBoy 13y ago
  SUVs are the most profitable vehicle for automakers, so it makes perfect sense that Tesla would build one next. Now that the public has been primed for electric vehicles and Tesla is building out a charging infrastructure, they're beginning to target the middle-of-the-road owners, not just early adopters.
  - jusben1369 13y ago
    Yes but the reason for SUV's being the most profitable vehicles for automakers (actually, big trucks are if you make them) is not applicable here. It has to do with basically making them off your existing car platform (scale/leverage) but charging more. I do agree with mercuryrising though that this is the next extension in the original vision.
    - soperj 13y ago
      Maybe they're doing it the opposite way? Designing the platform for the gen3 by making the model x, thus making the gen3 cheaper.
    - dice 13y ago
      The Model X shares 60% of its parts with the Model S. I believe that, critically, the "sled" (battery tray and motors) are shared between the two.
      - 13y ago
fluidcruft 13y ago
> the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan How do you fit a family of 5 in this thing like you can in a minivan? Honestly, it seems more of a station wagon minus the storage.
- jvm 13y ago
  Yeah the word hatchback comes to mind. remember the frunk though. This thing probably does have a lot of cargo capacity.
- stcredzero 13y ago
  Watch the reveal videos. Tesla's designers are good.
- pix64 13y ago
  It has 3 rows of seats. 7 Seats total. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mURbzh9t0_0&t=1021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mU...
microcolonel 13y ago
I wonder if these guys would be open to collaborating on a motorcycle.
nitid_name 13y ago
Good luck getting out of those falcon wing doors when the car flips over...
- alwaysdoit 13y ago
  I'm sure it just lifts the whole car up.
- SuperChihuahua 13y ago
  I'm sure the engineers have thought about that...
Fuzzwah 13y ago
I can't really tell whether all the doors are falcon wings or just the rear doors. Anyone have more info?
shawnbaden 13y ago
Gull-wing doors are a smart move, sales wise. They give you the exotic feel. But I'm concerned with them in practice. Since no height specification is given, I used this image as a reference to determine the height of the Model X with the doors fully open. http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_03_falconwings_prod.png http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_03_falconw... The Model S is 56.5" tall. So assuming the above image is to scale and my math is correct, the Model X is 85.65" tall with doors fully open. 85" tall... For reference, a Ford F-150 is 75" tall (http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/) and a Ford F-250 is 79.8" (http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/specifications/exterior/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/specifications/exterior...) in the worst case. Granted, most Tesla buyers are not average people with average-sized garages. But still, that's tall. There's a reason more cars don't have gull-wing doors. They aren't practical for a lot of spaces. And yes, I did see the in-garage-with-doors-open image. http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_04_garage_prod-06-kc.jpg http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_04_garage_...

379 points by m0th87 13y ago

I am blown away by how the doors open. I've never seen someone tackle the "oops. I'll be bumping/almost scratching into the 7-series next to me when I open my door" problem so elegantly. Edit: typo.

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WestCoastJustin 13y ago
The Gull-wing [1] doors have been around for a while, you probably noticed them on the DeLorean from Back to the Future series. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG [2] is a modern car which also has them. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gull-wing_door http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gull-wing_door [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLS_AMG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLS_AMG
- dllu 13y ago
  Note that the "Falcon Wings" are not exactly the same as regular gull-wings. The Falcon Wings have an additional joint where the roof part meets the window (see picture: http://i.imgur.com/htiMVlP.png http://i.imgur.com/htiMVlP.png). This reduces the overall height requirement when the door is opened.
redact207 13y ago
The falcon wings - rather the gull wings - have been around forever. The problem is that you need a significant roof height in order for them to open. Ever tried parking in a cramped multi-storey car park? You'll be crawling out of your car via the foot well. It's the main reason they've never taken off, but I'm guessing only the rear doors are like this.
- borlak 13y ago
  Also a bit problematic if you happen to roll your car over on its top...
  - timcederman 13y ago
    Hence the explosive bolts.
    - borlak 13y ago
      It doesn't have explosive bolts.
  - Recoil42 13y ago
    FWIW, the SLS gets around this by having explosive bolts in the hinges that blow when the car is past something like 90˚ in orientation and has a velocity of 0 for more than N seconds. However, the SLS is a $300k car, so no expense is spared. That solution might be a little less feasible for a car that costs what the Model X will.
    - ilikepi 13y ago
      I dunno, given the other story today[1] about the Tesla S blowing away everyone else in safety tests, I wouldn't put it past them to have considered escapability after a roll-over in the X. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6240862 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6240862
gilgoomesh 13y ago
Gull wing doors seem great unless you're tall (anything over 6 foot). For tall people they smack you in the head every time.
stevewilhelm 13y ago
Wondering where the Moments', O'Neill's, Burtons', Eddylines', and Cervelo's are supposed to go.
induscreep 13y ago
I am right now wondering why my commodity car doesn't have this feature - have the engineers even thought of it? It's ridiculous how the latest 2013 models have made incremental improvements compared to 1970s models. Sure they have better HP/torque curves and mileage/safety ratings, but automatic transmissions were invented LONG ago. Is there been ANY significantly new feature in the latest models?
- kalleboo 13y ago
  Traction control, automatic braking, smart cruise control (follow the car in front), automatic park assist
jared314 13y ago
I've always been slightly enamored with the rotary drop doors that slide under the car [1]. I would never buy a car with them, but they are interesting none the less. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtkoje4-eM&t=35s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtkoje4-eM&t=35s
- yannisp 13y ago
  Have you seen the Koenisegg doors? Those are my favorite... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxRpqeqFRY&t=150s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxRpqeqFRY&t=150s
- simonebrunozzi 13y ago
  This is great. They should use these for the new Teslas.
- rorrr2 13y ago
  The problem with these doors is the complexity and the fact that a simple tree branch stuck in it would completely fuck it up. The complexity means that it will break much more often than a regular door - it has motors and multiple pieces. Also imagine a child sticking a finger in it while it's closing, turning it into a meat grinder.
notatoad 13y ago
personally, I think the sliding doors on minivans are a more elegant solution to that problem. less stylish, but simpler design for the same utility and without compromising your roof.
- robomartin 13y ago
  Agreed! I've come to really appreciate their utility. One of our vehicles has them and they are fantastic. Nice piece of mechanical engineering as well. And, BTW, not much wrong with conventional doors either. Judging by the tens of millions of cars sold every year wold wide I'd say conventional doors work pretty well.
- aidenn0 13y ago
  the reason for gull-wings on the X is easy third-row access. with minivan doors you are limited in how far back they open
- loceng 13y ago
  Can you rationally separate elegance and style ?
  - notatoad 13y ago
    depends what you mean by elegance. an "elegant solution" in engineering has very little to do with fashion, it's about solving a problem in a non-obvious but very clean and efficient way.
lifeformed 13y ago
I like that it provides an extra little bit of protection from the rain when stepping outside on a rainy day into a lobby or something.
- briguy 13y ago
  I actually think the opposite. I would imagine that a driving rain will come in under the wings and into the top of the large cabin. Conventional doors are not perfect and the inside of the doors get wet, however these wings appear to allow the person sitting and seats to get wet.
lloeki 13y ago
> I've never seen someone tackle the "oops. I'll be bumping/almost scratching into the 7-series next to me when I open my door" problem so elegantly. In lower price ranges and in the supermini category, Peugeot made an attempt with 1007 [1]. The electric door design (by Delphi) was sound but the car was otherwise, with numerous other flaws, a failure in every sense. [1]: http://www.bibipedia.org/upload/gallery/images/Le_catalogue_des_voitures/Peugeot/1007/1007_2007_-_nt/Peugeot_1007_2007_-_nv_12.jpg http://www.bibipedia.org/upload/gallery/images/Le_catalogue_... [2]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmOyf9tiqo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGmOyf9tiqo
easytiger 13y ago
Huh? They didn't invent gull wing doors. PLenty of exotic and general production cars have/had them. Never heard of the Delorean DMC-12? A real innovation would be doors that slide into the chasis like the BMW z1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cars_with_non-standard_door_designs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cars_with_non-standard_...
- matthewaustin 13y ago
  Tesla's Falcon doors are not the same as Gull-wing doors. They have an additional joint which minimizes the horizontal space required, so you won't hit the car next to yours while getting in and out.

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programminggeek 13y ago

What is absolutely stunning about what Tesla is building is simply that they are building gorgeous vehicles with great features/performance and they are charging appropriately for them. They aren't built to fit into a particular price range or demographic, they're built to be great vehicles, so that people will want to buy them. I'll admit it, I want to buy a Tesla, even if it makes no financial sense for me to do so.

vertr07 13y ago
They are definitely putting the design talent of every other American automaker to shame.
- laureny 13y ago
  They are becoming the new Apple.
  - unalone 13y ago
    We need better design in the world in general. I'd hate to think only one company gets to be the designer-of-good-and-popular-things at a time.
- Aloha 13y ago
  How is it substantively different on styling than a 2014 Focus 4 Door or Taurus. The styling is bland an unoriginal, it looks like every other car for sale these days, whats worse, its bland an expensive, I can afford a focus, I cant even begin to hope to afford a Model X.
  - ok_craig 13y ago
    Design is about more than the shell of the car. It is about everything, from the touch screen to the heads-up navigation, to the automatic handles, the interior space, and even the fact that it's electric. It's really just an amazing all-around car, and you can't make something like that without designing every detail.

obilgic 13y ago

Tesla is Apple of the car industry.

Lerc 13y ago
Someone had to do it. When the iPhone was initially released, I speculated whether Apple itself would one day go into cars. While the end product seems far from what they do they don't really sell specific products. They sell objects that people become attached to. they don't become attached because it is an Apple product, but because Apple sell products in the areas of things people become attached to. Computers, and Smartphones have that level of attachment. The other stand-out items are cars and houses. A lot of people define their identities by their choice of those items.
samstave 13y ago
Would you like to build the android of the car industry? I am in... but I can only hit pavement running at a much further level of dev than now...

adamkittelson 13y ago

Apologies if I'm missing something obvious, but is there anything new here regarding the Model X (e.g. pricing) or is this just an FYI for people who may not have been aware that it was a thing? At a glance I'm not seeing anything that looks to have changed recently on this page.

gexla 13y ago
Yeah, pricing would seem to be a critical piece of info for reservation. Unfortunately I can't see what happens when you click on the "reserve now" link because the JS doesn't work in my browser (Aurora on Linux.)
- qu4z-2 13y ago
  I don't think it's your browser. It's not working properly under Firefox on Windows either.

nonchalance 13y ago

What's new here? I don't see any change from yesterday ...

deleted 13y ago
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- deleted 13y ago
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robterrell 13y ago
Agree that this isn't new. The only different bit is that, when I first looked at this page in February 212, it said deliveries would be in "Early 2014" and now it's just 2014.
- nonchalance 13y ago
  It was announced earlier this year: http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-to-repay-federal-loans-five-years-early-20130308,0,5843577.story http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-to-repa... > The automaker said that potential customers awaiting its upcoming Model X--billed as the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan, in an electric car--were going to have to wait a bit longer. > Production on the Model X had been expected to begin late this year, with deliveries beginning in 2014. Production has now been pushed back to late 2014.

bencpeters 13y ago

This might not be as much of a problem for most of the target market, but I was really excited about the Tesla X until I heard about the doors - meaning no roof rack options at all. Here in Utah, I would love a nice, capable car in the snow with plenty of room for gear, but if I can't put mountain bikes on the roof or a roof box with skis on it in the winter, it's not very useful... Maybe I'm just not in the target demographic, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who wants roof racks on my electric SUV...

chime 13y ago
How about bike racks in the back? I wonder which placement is better for mileage due to aerodynamics: Top or back?
- bencpeters 13y ago
  I generally do 2 in the back on a hitch rack, and 2 on the roof on my Subaru right now. (but I realize that car shuttles requiring 4 40lb downhill mountain bikes isn't exactly your typical use case for a car! It's just an important part of what I personally need it to do...) In my experience, bikes on the hitch rack hurt gas mileage less than the roof ones, but I haven't been super rigorous with the comparison...
- avn2109 13y ago
  But... ski racks! So important for some people, and there's nowhere for them to go except on top.
  - chockablock 13y ago
    There are plenty of hitch-mounted ski racks (skis are held vertically).
robterrell 13y ago
I'm not sure you want to drive an electric car in the snow. Not that the torque wouldn't be great, but the cold would wreck your range.

rdl 13y ago

I am afraid it looks a little too much like an Aztek from the rear. I want a Model S AWD. The X doesn't have a single real trunk so it sucks if you park anywhere non secure. It does make the S v X v Blue Star decision a little harder.

nonchalance 13y ago
It's coming: http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/5/4592248/tesla-to-produce-all-wheel-drive-model-s-sedan-next-year http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/5/4592248/tesla-to-produce-al...
- rdl 13y ago
  I assume at the cost of the frunk, which is ok.
  - greglindahl 13y ago
    The motor isn't that big; there'll still be some frunk left.
- adamkittelson 13y ago
  That's awesome news, thanks! I've been considering getting a Tesla in 2015 when I've paid off my Volt, but I live in Wisconsin so the rear wheel drive was a deal breaker on the Model S. I like the Model S more than the Model X though so if it has an all wheel drive option that's probably the way I'll go. (Assuming the fabled more reasonably priced 3rd model hasn't been revealed and won me over by then).
sebnukem2 13y ago
What's wrong with the Aztek? I love the functional look of that car.

jamz 13y ago

broken reserve now page? http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx/own#/model-x http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx/own#/model-x

robomartin 13y ago

I guess I don't remember the falcon doors because this is a non-starter for me. It starts out talking about "best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan". Well, in my world that means electric sliding rear doors and the abilily to mount our kayaks, racing shells or bikes on the roof. What the hell were they thinking? The door has been left wide open for someone to do it right. I'll be in the market for two new SUV's by early 2014. That's when I expect to go past 250,000 miles on my current ones. I've been saying I was going to buy two Teslas. Now I can't see a way to even remotely consider the idea. Sadly this feels like a lot of other companies with roots in the Slicon Valley community: A bunch of really young guys making decisions completely outside the context of the realities of families in the real world. Keep your falcon doors, they sure are cool but they are a colosal failure to capture my reality and that of millions of other potential customers. EDIT: I secretly wanted Tesla to build a really nice electric boat as well. I envisioned buying the set: An electric SUV pulling an electric boat to the lake. No, instead they build a bullshit SUV that misses the "Sport" and "Utility" part in "SUV". All you are left with is a vehicle and a useless one if you truly use an SUV for an active lifestyle that involves more than skateboarding.

nsxwolf 13y ago
Whoah, falcon doors are a deal breaker for millions of potential customers? Are you sure? They're my favorite thing about the car. I hadn't even considered the issue with putting things on the roof, because I've never put anything on a roof before. I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't need that capability.
- rdl 13y ago
  It's a lot more common among SUV and wagon owners than regular car owners. The dirty secret of small SUVs and crossovers is that if you have the rear seat full of passengers, there is very little room for their luggage. Generally when you take 4 people camping you need about twice as much equipment as when you take 2 people camping, but only have about 20% the space to fit it in. The exception is really big SUVs like the Yukon XL, but for small SUVs, a sedan like a Crown Vic actually has more luggage capacity when 4 passengers are in the vehicle. The hack to solve this is the roof rack. I think the best solution is still a diesel SUV/pickup, and a Model S (or smaller) electric car.

homosaur 13y ago

I like Tesla and I like this car okay, but that is not a crossover. I have a Nissan Rogue which is on the smaller side of the crossover range and the body height it still significant enough where you could tell it's certainly not a sedan even with a casual glance. The only similarity that has is the flat back. Good luck as well with those falcon wing doors when you're trying to park at your downtown football stadium or of course, wanting any roof accessories. Once again, not a crossover, because crossover basically means a small engine SUV. This is a sedan with a flat ass. Wouldn't there be major safety concerns during a rollover? How the hell would you get out of your burning Model X?

zensavona 13y ago
Presumably the same way you'd get out of your burning Mercedes SLS AMG http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/video-mercedes-benz-sls-amg-crash-test-video-shows-off-explodin/ http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/video-mercedes-benz-sls-a...
- homosaur 13y ago
  Ah, henge pin charges, makes sense. I suppose you could just kick the doors off at that point.
aschampion 13y ago
Most normal car doors aren't going to open well after a rollover, either.
- homosaur 13y ago
  That's absolutely true, but you also don't need a special mechanism to pop the hinges.
  - muhfuhkuh 13y ago
    I thought the jaws of life usually does the trick in a rollover whether its conventional, suicide, butterfly, or gullwing doors.

gcb0 13y ago

> promises 3rd car will be a cheap model that will change the world. Delivers soccer parent SUV. With lambo doors.

michaelbuddy 13y ago
This isn't the 3rd model of the sequence you're thinking. This is the 2nd Model.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
homosaur 13y ago
Not even an SUV. They only made it flat and crossover-looking so they didn't have to admit it's basically a hatchback. Far closer to a wagon, honestly.
stonemetal 13y ago
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/blog--tesla-to-add-cheaper-third-model-by-2017 http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/blog--tesla-to-add-chea... Evidently the roadster doesn't count.

Amadou 13y ago

Seems like the gullwing doors have the height issue to contend with, plus what are the chances you knock your 5-year old's chin on the way up? I drive a sporty 2-door SUV and what I've long hoped to find was a 2-door suv with sliding doors - basically mini-van doors. The Peugot 1007 is the only vehicle I've ever seen like that and it was a little too econo-box for my taste. http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/outdoor/peugeot-1007-handy-sliding-doors-7474055/ http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/outdoor/peugeot-1007-han...

GraffitiTim 13y ago
At the shareholder meeting a couple months ago, Elon Musk said the gullwing doors will have proximity and pinch sensors to prevent them from hitting anything. I don't know for sure if he was referring to the first version of Model X, but it seemed like it.
andyjsong 13y ago
>plus what are the chances you knock your 5-year old's chin on the way up? Probably the same chances that you will knock over your child when you swing open a conventional door. That being said, they'll learn quickly to step back from opening doors.

mrb 13y ago

No rear view mirrors? Replaced by cameras! Bold move.

Aloha 13y ago

It doesn't seem to tell me how much it is.. Generally if I have to ask the price, I probably can't afford it. I want an electric car, I want one with a range of about 400 miles, with charging stations to support it. jAs soon as the electric car is as easy for me to use as a gasoline powered one, I'm ready to drive one. For what it's worth, my line of work (making all those mobile devices work) requires an enormous amount of driving.

cdash 13y ago
That is because it is not for sale yet, all you can do is reserve it for 5,000 dollars but i would expect it to be around the same price as a model s.
- Aloha 13y ago
  If I can reserve something, its functionally for sale, I should be able to see how much the total price of the vehicle is before reserving. I tried that, the reservation link seems broken.
- ruswick 13y ago
  $5,000 is an incredible amount of money. If I were to spend that amount on a pre-order, I deserve to know what I'm paying for and how much it will cost me.
  - revelation 13y ago
    Thats why the reservation is fully refundable.
  - chrisgd 13y ago
    You have 14 days to decide once your number is called. Put the deposit on a new credit card with multiple bonus points in the first month. Get yourself a vacation for lending someone $5,000 when interest rates are so low and decide later.
tekacs 13y ago
'Will cost the same as a comparably specified Model S' - it's at the bottom (at least as I write this comment, it is). Edit: 'Deliveries will begin in 2014 and priced comparable to a similarly equipped Model S.' is the exact quote.

jasonkester 13y ago

One silly thing to keep in mind if you're in the UK or Europe: You'll need to wait longer to take it on the Channel Tunnel, since it needs to ride in a tall vehicle/truck/bus car, which doesn't go with every train. I sat in line for that compartment behind a Lamborghini Countach once. With like a 36 inch curb height, he could certainly fit in a normal compartment. But he couldn't open the doors, so he'd be stuck in the car the whole trip. First world problems...

codfrantic 13y ago
>so he'd be stuck in the car the whole trip. It's roughly a 30 minute trip. Would the wait for the different carriage be worth it ?
- avar 13y ago
  You try convincing a train company that you'd like to be transported as cargo.
  - rplnt 13y ago
    I thought buses work this way - passengers stay in them?
  - codfrantic 13y ago
    I've been on this train on a tourbus, you're not expected / required to go out unless you want to use the bathroom. Maybe it's different for car transport. Imagine a normal train although slightly bigger where you yourself drive on and park. It's not an open carriage like a 'normal' car transport would use.
    - Swannie 13y ago
      It is different for car transport. Primarily for fire safety.
- timclark 13y ago
  Unless you need to go to the toilet it is probably more comfortable to stay in your car. Not being able to get out of your car in an emergency would be a bigger problem.

broodbucket 13y ago

>We noticed you're visiting from Australia. Would you like to visit the Australian version of the site? It's ridiculous that the web is in such a state that I thought this was a very impressive feature. You either get redirected, occasionally against your will, or have to add .au to your current URL and hope it works.

apapli 13y ago
I clicked through on the AU link - doesn't look any different though!
darklajid 13y ago
No, that is exactly the only way to do it right. If I visit a link on HN, I want to reach the same site everyone's talking about. Not teslamotors.de or somesuch crap. I'm looking at you, Google, among other offenders. Offering a localized site, in a clearly visible but unobtrusive way, is a good choice and I'd like to see more sites adapt this pattern.

knocte 13y ago

So what is the price?

forgottenpaswrd 13y ago

This guys need to seriously consider redesigning the front plate. They put it there because all normal gas cars need it, but electric cars don't need it, or need a very small one. The rest of the car, I love it.

monk_e_boy 13y ago
I was expecting so much more from the front of the car, they could have gone really imaginitive with the design and practical use.
Florin_Andrei 13y ago
It seems to me the design is deliberately conservative for some reason.
- dsuth 13y ago
  Yep. These are designed to look like 'normal' cars so as not to spook the generally conservative market. Mk II or III will be significantly different in design from today's car I think.

davidcollantes 13y ago

Reservations been taken, but anyone knows what the price(s) of the vehicle are?

jamesdelaneyie 13y ago

The tesla touchscreen looks absolutely massive. Really a bit too gaudy for my tastes. Then again it's just a mockup. Is that a screen behind the steering wheel?

mikeash 13y ago
The one in the Model S is indeed massive. It's tall enough to do a vertical split and have two different activities shown at once, top and bottom, if you set it up that way, and big enough to comfortably read a non-mobile web page. (Don't do that while driving, please.)
Too 13y ago
Screen only as instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is nothing new, other cars have this already. But I'm wondering, is that a live video of the road in front of you projected in that display?

smallegan 13y ago

I'm using chrome on this site and the experience seems subpar for such an amazing car. I click the link to see Elon's unveiling and I am brought to a page with a 360 click and drag that doesn't work.

Zoomla 13y ago

The body looks alot like the Honda Crosstour http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20121115/CARNEWS/121119899/AR/0/2013-Honda-Accord-Crosstour.jpg http://www.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20121115/CARNEWS/12111...

ruswick 13y ago

Try as I might, I simply can't get worked up about Tesla. They make excellent toys for rich people, but are irrelevant to everyone who is not some sort of millionaire entrepreneur or high-paid executive. Electric vehicles are incredibly attractive and massively beneficial to society if they are adopted at scale. Unfortunately, Tesla seems content to cultivate an image as an ultra-luxury brand, and hasn't attempted to lower the barrier to entry for electric vehicles. I have no problem with companies that only want to sell expensive things to very wealthy people, but we can't possible pretend that companies like these will matter in the grand scheme of things. Wake me up when we can buy an electric car for $12,000.

syncsynchalt 13y ago
Not that far out then: http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-ev-electric-vehicle.html http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-ev-electric-vehicle.html
- frogpelt 13y ago
  MSRP*1 as low as $19,185 Price after federal tax credit. Net price shown includes the full $7,500 tax credit*1. $26,685 MSRP* †,† without federal tax savings ranging from $0 up to $7,500. So, I can buy a Spark for only $20K and let the rest of America pay the other $7,500 for me. Sweet. I love an overbearing government!
rkangel 13y ago
Elon Musk's stated goal with Tesla is to bring electric cars to the masses. To do this, the price has to come down, and the price only comes down with volume, and you can't build the volume for a mass car from scratch without a low price. This is a classic Catch 22, and Tesla's strategy for this is to start at the higher end with performance and luxury cars, where the costs are more acceptable, refine the technology, learn the lessons, wait for battery prices to come down, build the brand and product volume and release cars closer and closer to mass market. Look at the history: we started with an sports car (the Roadster), which could get away with high price and average range by being quick, then a luxury sedan at a lower price point (Model S), now more of a family car (Model X). Affordable cars are in the pipeline, this is just the route we have to go through to get there. Personally, I think the strategy is masterful. Every other car manufacturer went straight to mass market, without taking into account that the economics didn't work.

mproud 13y ago

Are those cameras in place for side-view mirrors?

mercuryrising 13y ago

I remember watching an interview not too long ago about Elon being disappointed with how slowly the regulations around cars are to change. He mentioned specifically putting cameras in place of the side mirrors, and how Tesla petitioned to have the laws around it changed about 3 years ago. Looks like they succeeded in getting the laws changed. Seems weird that they went for the SUV crossover next. Although I guess that's the next rung on the ladder in order of bringing the price down. Fancy 2 seater -> Fancy sedan -> semi-fancy suv -> semi-fancy van | semi-fancy car.

HeyLaughingBoy 13y ago
SUVs are the most profitable vehicle for automakers, so it makes perfect sense that Tesla would build one next. Now that the public has been primed for electric vehicles and Tesla is building out a charging infrastructure, they're beginning to target the middle-of-the-road owners, not just early adopters.
- jusben1369 13y ago
  Yes but the reason for SUV's being the most profitable vehicles for automakers (actually, big trucks are if you make them) is not applicable here. It has to do with basically making them off your existing car platform (scale/leverage) but charging more. I do agree with mercuryrising though that this is the next extension in the original vision.
  - soperj 13y ago
    Maybe they're doing it the opposite way? Designing the platform for the gen3 by making the model x, thus making the gen3 cheaper.
  - dice 13y ago
    The Model X shares 60% of its parts with the Model S. I believe that, critically, the "sled" (battery tray and motors) are shared between the two.
    - 13y ago

fluidcruft 13y ago

> the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan How do you fit a family of 5 in this thing like you can in a minivan? Honestly, it seems more of a station wagon minus the storage.

jvm 13y ago
Yeah the word hatchback comes to mind. remember the frunk though. This thing probably does have a lot of cargo capacity.
stcredzero 13y ago
Watch the reveal videos. Tesla's designers are good.
pix64 13y ago
It has 3 rows of seats. 7 Seats total. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mURbzh9t0_0&t=1021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mU...

microcolonel 13y ago

I wonder if these guys would be open to collaborating on a motorcycle.

nitid_name 13y ago

Good luck getting out of those falcon wing doors when the car flips over...

alwaysdoit 13y ago
I'm sure it just lifts the whole car up.
SuperChihuahua 13y ago
I'm sure the engineers have thought about that...

Fuzzwah 13y ago

I can't really tell whether all the doors are falcon wings or just the rear doors. Anyone have more info?

shawnbaden 13y ago

Gull-wing doors are a smart move, sales wise. They give you the exotic feel. But I'm concerned with them in practice. Since no height specification is given, I used this image as a reference to determine the height of the Model X with the doors fully open. http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_03_falconwings_prod.png http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_03_falconw... The Model S is 56.5" tall. So assuming the above image is to scale and my math is correct, the Model X is 85.65" tall with doors fully open. 85" tall... For reference, a Ford F-150 is 75" tall (http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/exterior/) and a Ford F-250 is 79.8" (http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/specifications/exterior/ http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty/specifications/exterior...) in the worst case. Granted, most Tesla buyers are not average people with average-sized garages. But still, that's tall. There's a reason more cars don't have gull-wing doors. They aren't practical for a lot of spaces. And yes, I did see the in-garage-with-doors-open image. http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_04_garage_prod-06-kc.jpg http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/bg_04_garage_...