Delivery to the first buyers of the Model X will begin towards the end of the third quarter, with Tesla stating they are aiming for the 30th of September. Buyers who paid the $5,000 reservation fee still do not know just how much the Model X will cost. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, has stated that the car will be priced around the cost of the Model S, currently retailing at $50,000 after tax breaks and fuel savings.
The Model X is the first foray into the increasingly popular crossover model production. The seven seater all wheel drive will be a bold attempt at entering the market. No one is under any illusions that these crossovers are being used primarily for rough roads or traversing the countryside, but industry experts will be watching carefully how well the car sells in the less traditional environments for electric vehicles.
The Model X is much larger than the Model S, with seven seats and all-wheel drive. The greater suspension ability should make the car more appealing for those driving on rough roads or living in areas where road conditions are more variable. Electric cars have long been associated with city living, thought of as cars for middle class professionals with large amounts of money to spend. Will the Model X be another addition to their garage? Or will we start seeing electric cars on our country roads?
Access to charging stations remains a problem in the UK. The number of supercharging stations remains low in the UK, albeit with more planned in the future. The few Tesla showrooms in the UK remain in the big cities, with sites in London, Birmingham and Manchester. This probably means that we shouldn’t be expecting to see man Tesla Model X on the roads of the UK just yet. But the growing success of Tesla means it is a matter of “When?” and not “If?”