Tesla Model X: 13 Things You Need to Know
Tesla calls it “the safest, fastest and most capable sport utility vehicle in history.” Here’s what you really need to know about the new Model X.
13. It has “Bioweapon Defense Mode”
Has the air in L.A. really gotten that bad?
OK, maybe not, but in case you find yourself in the middle of a battlefield, the Model X comes equipped with what is known as a “Bioweapon Defense Mode.”
Tesla claims the car’s massive air filter can protect the occupants from bacteria and airborne gases. In fact, it’s the first car to come with a medical-grade HEPA air filter.
12. It’s got a big warranty
Tesla’s past cars have received rave reviews, though not always when it comes to reliability. To combat that, Tesla is offering an eight-year, “infinite mile” warranty on the battery and drive unit.
11. It’s made in America
Tesla will produce the Model X at its new factory in Fremont, Calif.
10. It’s safe
Billed as a family vehicle, Tesla is serious about promoting the Model X as safe.
To deliver on that promise, Elon Musk says it will get five stars in every crash category. The floor-mounted battery means the chance of a rollover is “almost nonexistent.” And without a gas tank or internal combustion engine, the entire front portion of the vehicle is designed as a crumple zone.
9. It can drive 257 miles on a charge
Standard 90D versions of the Model X will offer 257 miles of range with an MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating of 90 MPGe city, 94 highway and 92 combined. High-performance P90D versions will offer only slightly less at 250 miles of range and MPGe figures of 89/90/89.
8. It has crazy doors
Tesla calls them Falcon Wing doors and they’re certainly unique. Like the classic Mercedes Gullwing doors (because a Falcon is cooler than a Gull) but with a hinge in the middle, this allows them to open upward in tight parking spaces. It’s useful in the same way sliding doors on a minivan are.
Offering second and third row access, Tesla says the doors were designed to allow easy access for parents loading kids into child seats, without anyone bumping their head.
Requiring just 30 cm (roughly a foot) of space to open, each door can also sense objects around it, making sure it doesn’t bump another vehicle or a parking garage ceiling.
7. It has 17 speakers
6. It’s the most aerodynamic SUV ever
With a drag coefficient of 0.24 cd, the Model X boasts the lowest amount of drag of any SUV ever. With an already slippery shape, the model X comes with a self-adjusting spoiler that lowers at highway speeds.
5. It’s big inside
With three rows, there’s room for seven people inside the Model X, though one can also opt for a six-passenger seating configuration.
4. It can tow
Sure, it’s no Cummins-powered Ram HD pickup, but the Model X can still tow. Rated to pull 5,000 lbs, that’s comparable to conventional three-row SUVs and more than any other electric car on the market.
3. It’s stupid fast
The Model X will hit 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds with the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade. That’s faster than any other SUV on the market and a LOT of sports cars. Standard P90D models will go zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds and non-performance P90 models will do it in 4.8 seconds.
SEE ALSO: 5 Surprising Cars the ‘Ludicrous’ Tesla Model S Would Beat in a Drag Race
2. It’s expensive
The very first Model X cars retail for $132,000. These “Founders Series” versions, however, do come with the Ludicrous Speed Mode and Tesla’s autopilot system. Other versions are expected to cost roughly $5,000 more than a comparable Model S.
1. You’ll have to wait a year to get one
If the price didn’t scare you away and a green SUV is at the top of your new car shopping list, you can reserve your own right here. Tesla says new reservations should receive their cars in the second half of 2016.
Discuss this story on our Tesla Forum
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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Tesla is not taking any money from "the Feds". And they already repaid their loan. The business that is sucking literally billions of dollars a year from the government's teat is the oil industry. I'll be glad to hear your condemnation of that obscenity.
How much