Tesla Motors introduced the auto world to the Model X, an all-wheel drive, all-electric SUV with falcon-wing doors at the 2013 North American International Auto Show on Tuesday.
DETROIT, MI – Building off momentum of its four-door, all-electric Model S sports sedan that took home several awards and accolades in 2012, Tesla Motors introduced the auto world to the Model X, an all-wheel drive, all-electric SUV with falcon-wing doors at the 2013 North American International Auto Show on Tuesday.
The car is meant to be innovative, if not for the fact that Tesla says its electric motor will take it from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds.
Take, for example, its doors. Not to be confused with the “gullwing” doors found on cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or the DeLorean DMC-12, the Model X’s rear doors are “falcon wings,” its designers explain, because they open vertically instead of first swinging out. This also allows passengers, especially handicapped ones, to enter and exit the vehicle more easily.
The car’s three rows of seats can sit seven adults. Tesla’s flat battery is positioned along the floor of the car, so most of what’s under the hood is actually just more cargo space.
Tesla says its Dual Electric Motor All Wheel Drive can detect road slippage and immediately redirect torque, offering better traction without sacrificing efficiency.
The Model X will be priced along the same lines as premium SUVs, according to Tesla. The company will begin production on the vehicle at its plant in Fremont, Calif. in 2014.
The company hailed the Model X as the latest in an electric evolution that shows consumers that all-electric cars are both the future and the present. Tesla is expanding its so-called “supercharging" stations, according to George Blankenship, the company’s vice president of sales.
“You pull up, you plug in, and you don’t leave $100; it’s free,” Blankenship said Tuesday. “And in a couple years, you’ll be able to drive from San Diego to Maine.”
Supercharging gives the cars a full charge in 30 minutes, rather than over a twelve-hour period – a common gripe with all-electric cars.
Blankenship said the stations will eventually be all over the country. Tesla has a long way to go on this front: There are eight supercharging stations now, six in California and two in the Northeastern corridor.