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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 specific

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.
    - jusben1369 13y ago
      Right. But no car they make is yet at much in the way of economies of scale due to their tiny volumes compared to a "normal" car maker.
dsuth 13y ago
Hah! I was wondering about that; I thought their designer had just decided that side mirrors were too ugly on the 3D model. I really like the way these guys think. This is truly disruptive design at work.

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.
  - jusben1369 13y ago
    Right. But no car they make is yet at much in the way of economies of scale due to their tiny volumes compared to a "normal" car maker.

dsuth 13y ago

Hah! I was wondering about that; I thought their designer had just decided that side mirrors were too ugly on the 3D model. I really like the way these guys think. This is truly disruptive design at work.