Tesla Model X Takes Luxury Carmakers Head On With Electric SUV

Tuesday brought with it the Tesla Model X electric SUV, a vehicle that’ll give luxury carmakers a run for their money. This is also the vehicle that experts are predicting will bring in high revenues to replace and surpass the years of losses the company has taken. This new vehicle may be just what Tesla needs to keep its head above water from here on out.

The Model X was supposed to be revealed shortly after the Model S sedan, which was launched in 2012, but the high spending and modest growth of the company kept them falling behind. The final reveal puts the Model X sports utility vehicle about two years behind schedule.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, headed up the car’s long-awaited reveal, which was held near the Tesla factory, just south of San Francisco. In response to questions about the late release, Musk explained what happened to CNBC.

“I think we got a little carried away with the X. There is far more there than is really necessary to sell a car. And some of the things are so difficult, they make the car better but the difficulty of engineering those parts is so high.”

But many of the 25,000 people who ordered their SUV early won’t be disappointed by the vehicle. It comes equipped with a myriad of new and exciting features that Tesla is hoping will make it the most coveted SUV on the market.

For starters, it’s supposed to be the world’s quickest SUV, with the capacity to go 0 to 60 in just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 miles per hour, according to USA Today. That aspect makes it more sports car than sports utility, but it also has so much extra space that it gives the vehicle the feel of a sophisticated passenger car.

The Tesla Model X also has an extremely sleek design with a panoramic windshield that lets the driver see the sky above. It also has a highly sophisticated passenger air filter, one of the best you can get in a car. The infamous wing doors also give the vehicle something exotic that no other SUV is likely to have.

Not to mention, the entire vehicle is run on electricity, which gives it a lot of low-end torque that makes towing and hauling easy. In fact, Tesla boasts that their new Model X can tow up to 5,000 pounds without straining.

Safety was a top priority for the carmakers as well, so they placed the large, heavy battery low in the vehicle. With the balance of weight, it’s much less likely to roll in an accident.

With the sports utility vehicle model, Tesla is entering terrain they aren’t entirely familiar with. The company is now competing with crossover vehicles from companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. All four of these renowned auto makers have recognized the potential of creating luxurious and sporty vehicles that also have the capacity to carry plenty of cargo and passengers.

Though Tesla has long been the leader in electric vehicles, global adoption of these energy-efficient cars has been slow. The vehicles are designed to be high performance with stylish capabilities, but there are many limitations that come with driving an electric car.

The most glaring restriction is the length of time an electric vehicle can run. While standard cars can fill up their fuel tanks in a matter of minutes and run for hundreds of miles at a time, electric vehicles take longer to charge and can only run for a few hours at a time. There has been some improvement in this area, however. New battery architecture offers some pretty significant performance enhancements over the current Li-ion technology, allowing some vehicles to run an extra 80 miles at lower cost. However, there will need to be even more growth in this area in order for mass adoption to take place.

The other major factor standing in the way of global adoption is the public’s perception on the vehicles. Electric cars currently come with a stigma that not everyone is willing to align themselves with. While certain markets are conducive to eco-friendly and green initiatives, other communities aren’t as educated on the environmental issues that face our country. It’s going to require a significant investment in marketing, advertising, and consumer education to change public perception.

However, it’s not impossible. If Tesla can manage to use this vehicle to hurdle their losses and get back on top in the electric vehicle field, they’ll become the leaders in a revolution that moves away from burning up nonrenewable resources and towards a more sustainable automobile future. With all the positive feedback it’s received so far, the Tesla Model X SUV could be the thing that drives this movement.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]