BERLIN: Tesla’s Model X is he next generation vehicle following its award-winning Model S sedan.
The X shares about 60 percent of the content from the sedan-converting the sleek Maserati-looking five-passenger model into a stylish crossover utility vehicle.
The Model X is Tesla’s follow-up vehicle to the award-winning Model S sedan. The X shares about 60 percent of the content from the sedan-converting the sleek Maserati-looking five-passenger model into a stylish crossover utility vehicle in the design spirit of the Acura ZDX or BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo.
Tesla wants to make cool cars that lure new waves of buyers to try an electric car. But it’s hard to make an SUV, with minivan-like qualities, look sexy. From certain angles, the X looks like a bulked-up taller S. That’s not a bad thing, considering the beautiful design DNA of the Tesla sedan-but the Model X is unlikely to be a head-turner like the Model S.
The Model X will have the same wheelbase as the S, and the car’s length and width will be roughly the same as the Model S too. Naturally, it’ll be taller and slightly (10 percent) less aerodynamic.
Performance
Despite having a larger and heavier body than the Model S, the powerful torque of an electric all-wheel drive system gives the Model X a similar level of performance. The SUV is expected to go from standstill to 60 mph in less than five seconds. That’s good enough to beat the fastest SUVs on the market, as well as many smaller sleeker sports cars.
Tesla bases its entire brand on a thrilling driving experience-overclocking the amount of power delivered to the wheels. You should expect the same from the Model X, even though its outward shape and overall versatility is expanded into an SUV.
Efficiency/Range
Because the Model X weighs about 10 percent more than its predecessor sedan, the SUV will provide roughly 10 percent less range from its battery pack. That means somewhere between about 170 to 230 miles of real-world range, depending on use of either the 60 or 85 kilowatt-hour pack. It’s too early for federal agencies to pinpoint estimated range, or for Tesla to make specific promises.
Charging
Tesla offers the most elegant and powerful charging system in the marketplace. It uses a 10 kW charger-a step above the 6.6 kilowatts commonly found in today’s electric cars. This means the Model X should be able to add 30 or more miles of range per hour of charging from a 240-volt source.
The big battery pack used in the Model X-as well as the Model S-makes this faster rate very useful for recharging all the way to full. Drivers will find they have plenty of energy reserves on a daily basis for common driving (regardless of charging rate).
Never content to offer just the best-rather than the crazy over-the-top absolute best-Tesla also offers a twin-charger that doubles the power rating to 20 kilowatts when combined with adequate amperage from home electricity service and Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector. In this configuration, you could pump in 60 or more miles of range in an hour of charging.
These scenarios all refer to home charging. But the cherry on top of the EV ice cream sundae is the free use of the Tesla Supercharger network, which enables all-electric road trips. The network-consisting of strategically placed 120-kW rapid chargers that can add as much as 170 miles of range in just 30 minutes-is a stroke of genius by Tesla.
