Tesla Model X officially announced

[slag]

How many do they have to use for crash testing to make it road legal in the US?

 

[Brovane]

Tesla delivered only 6 Model X SUVs -- and Elon Musk took one for himself

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-modelx-launch-questions-20150930-story.html

Looks like it's still a long wait.

And why the fark are we giving tax credits to rich people to buy expensive cars?

Because when Congress wrote the EV Tax Credit law they set no income limit on the Tax Credit.

That being said those rich people are helping refine the EV technology that will allow Tesla to start producing lower price cars in a couple of years.

 

[NutBucket]

Rich people would buy them with or without tax credits.....

 

[Kaido]

Aztec?

WOW, stupidity is limitless indeed.

tbh it does look like a smoothed-over Aztek with falcon door. I could definitely see Walter White in one if he hadn't gone downhill :biggrin:

 

[RGUN]

Because when Congress wrote the EV Tax Credit law they set no income limit on the Tax Credit.

That being said those rich people are helping refine the EV technology that will allow Tesla to start producing lower price cars in a couple of years.

Brovane's captured my take on it. The developing/high cost equipment today will become the basis of the affordable models. Anything that expedites that transition is going to benefit all of us.

Also, consider that oil companies appear to be heavily subsidized as well. Equivalent to an every car sold annually basis they appear to receive $1600-$8600 in subsidies per car sold annually. That's the entire oil industry, not just related to transit, so would be some fraction of that.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I think it looks good, but there are a few things that bother me.

The falcon doors are good for wow factor, but weren't necessary IMO. They just add cost and weight, and aren't ideal for the winter. We get a lot of snow here, and I make sure I store my snow brush in the car and not in the trunk (SUV with a hatch) because if you open the hatch with snow on the roof it falls in the trunk. With the X, I'd have to put the snow brush in the passenger seat and make sure I clear the snow before opening the rear doors.

Do these things have headlight washers? Last time I checked, the S didn't and it sucks for a car that price. They aren't that useful in the summer, but for winter I'd never get another car without them. They clean the salt that gets caked on the headlights.

Lower range than the S. It was expected, but I think they should've added batteries to make it have the same range.

 

[Brovane]

Lower range than the S. It was expected, but I think they should've added batteries to make it have the same range.

They wanted to keep the battery pack the same as the Model S. The good thing is as they continue to push the storage capacity on the Model S this will also improve things for the Model X. Already Tesla has increased the capacity from 85 kw/h to 90 kw/h. As things go forward we can probably expect to see about 5%-10% more battery capacity every couple of years. The range despite being lower than the Model S will still get the vehicle between Super-Charger stations.

 

[Midwayman]

Wow... those doors are just dumb. I mean they look neat and all, and on a super car where appearance > practicality that's fine. On a suv/crossover... what were they thinking?

 

[NutBucket]

Actually, if they were going to do that they should have made the whole side of the car open up. The dumbest part is the front doors open normally. How lame....

 

[Capt Caveman]

I think it looks good, but there are a few things that bother me.

The falcon doors are good for wow factor, but weren't necessary IMO. They just add cost and weight, and aren't ideal for the winter. We get a lot of snow here, and I make sure I store my snow brush in the car and not in the trunk (SUV with a hatch) because if you open the hatch with snow on the roof it falls in the trunk. With the X, I'd have to put the snow brush in the passenger seat and make sure I clear the snow before opening the rear doors.

Do these things have headlight washers? Last time I checked, the S didn't and it sucks for a car that price. They aren't that useful in the summer, but for winter I'd never get another car without them. They clean the salt that gets caked on the headlights.

Lower range than the S. It was expected, but I think they should've added batteries to make it have the same range.

I've owned several SUVs, live in the northeast and never had snow come into the back area when I've opened the rear hatch.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I've owned several SUVs, live in the northeast and never had snow come into the back area when I've opened the rear hatch.

I've had 2 generations of Golfs, an Outback, and now a Q5, and snow comes in the trunk on all of them when there's snow on the roof. Snow must be different in Montreal.

 

[natto fire]

Tesla delivered only 6 Model X SUVs -- and Elon Musk took one for himself

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-modelx-launch-questions-20150930-story.html

Looks like it's still a long wait.

And why the fark are we giving tax credits to rich people to buy expensive cars?

Not to get too P&N, but that EV tax credit is a drop in the bucket compared to how much rich people game taxes.

I agree with you on the styling of the Model X. Leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of neat tech over the Porsche Cayenne, but doesn't look as good, by a wide margin. I will have to see one in person to make my final judgement on the styling, as I think the Model S looks better in person than in photos; something about the proportions, I suppose.

As someone who owns an '01 Honda Odyssey with electric sliding doors that no longer operate correctly, those doors are a nightmare waiting to happen. Great for the original owner, but the excessive complexity is just begging to malfunction down the road.

They will sell though.

 

[bigi]

Actually, if they were going to do that they should have made the whole side of the car open up. The dumbest part is the front doors open normally. How lame....

Telsa is hiring. I think you should go and make a good buck, perhaps they replace Franz with you.

 

[natto fire]

Telsa is hiring. I think you should go and make a good buck, perhaps they replace Franz with you.

It is no surprise, in my opinion, that workers were offset away from America. Not so much for profit, but the average American worker is a lazy POS who is happy to complain about a a foreigner taking his job, and not so much about working to make that job practical to its employer.

 

[NutBucket]

I'd rather not work for a company that consistently expects overtime. F that noise, I have a life outside of work.

 

[Griffinhart]

Not to get too P&N, but that EV tax credit is a drop in the bucket compared to how much rich people game taxes.

I agree with you on the styling of the Model X. Leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of neat tech over the Porsche Cayenne, but doesn't look as good, by a wide margin. I will have to see one in person to make my final judgement on the styling, as I think the Model S looks better in person than in photos; something about the proportions, I suppose.

As someone who owns an '01 Honda Odyssey with electric sliding doors that no longer operate correctly, those doors are a nightmare waiting to happen. Great for the original owner, but the excessive complexity is just begging to malfunction down the road.

They will sell though.

If we must have EV tax credits, there really needs to be a cap on the cost of the vehicle. Those that can afford a $130K electric do not need a tax credit for the purchase.

As a general comment, I see these doors being talked up, but is it just the rear doors that do this? The front doors appear to be traditional doors. If this is the case, who cares if the back doors can open like that?

Bioweapon defense mode? Between this "feature" and Musk's fear of AI, I'm starting to see a paranoia surface in Musk.

 

[Brovane]

If we must have EV tax credits, there really needs to be a cap on the cost of the vehicle. Those that can afford a $130K electric do not need a tax credit for the purchase.

Congress is the one that wrote the law not to have a phase out for the EV tax credit based on income. Same thing with the PV tax credit, no phase out based on income. Once Tesla hits 200k EV vehicles sold in the US the EV tax credit will be phased out for all Tesla cars within 1-year. Which will be interesting because Tesla will probably loose the Tax Credit for it's vehicle right around when the Model-3 comes out.

Bioweapon defense mode? Between this "feature" and Musk's fear of AI, I'm starting to see a paranoia surface in Musk.

Musk did joke about his eventual goal was to have as many as possible of the Supercharging stations off-grid using solar panels and Tesla Commercial battery systems. So the stations would still work in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse.

 

[NutBucket]

As a general comment, I see these doors being talked up, but is it just the rear doors that do this? The front doors appear to be traditional doors.

You are correct, only the rear doors open up. Basically sliding doors are too pedestrian and this is way cooler for the rich folk that will be shuttled around in these.

 

[Midwayman]

Actually, if they were going to do that they should have made the whole side of the car open up. The dumbest part is the front doors open normally. How lame....

They totally should have done lambo doors on the front.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Because when Congress wrote the EV Tax Credit law they set no income limit on the Tax Credit.

That being said those rich people are helping refine the EV technology that will allow Tesla to start producing lower price cars in a couple of years.

Yep. It's actually a GOOD thing Tesla is aiming their cars at the rich. It allows them to make a more advanced car and push their technology. Telsa is advancing EV technology on the backs of the wealthy.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Wow... those doors are just dumb. I mean they look neat and all, and on a super car where appearance > practicality that's fine. On a suv/crossover... what were they thinking?

Everything I've read and seen in reviews suggest as a UTILITY vehicle those doors come in handy. They did it for a reason, and my guess is if they made a short ELI5 youtube vid explaining their logic it would make more sense.

 

[Mandres]

WTF is the point of the "bio defense" feature? In case you have to drive through the stinky part of town?

 

[CZroe]

Highway speed limits in most areas of the country aren't that high.

They are on most of the long flat straights outside of/between urban cities.

I've crossed the country several times.

 

[CZroe]

WTF is the point of the "bio defense" feature? In case you have to drive through the stinky part of town?

I know someone who lived most of her life on the transplant list because of a genetic lung condition. Now that she finally has a transplant she will be living on immunosuppressants for the rest of her life. She can't be allowed to even get a normal cold.

This car/feature sounds like exactly what she needs.

 

[natto fire]

You are correct, only the rear doors open up. Basically sliding doors are too pedestrian and this is way cooler for the rich folk that will be shuttled around in these.

They claim 12" of side clearance is all that is needed to open the doors, which, for the complexity, is impressive. Then again, my '01 Honda Odyssey needs a scant 5 1/2" to accomplish the same task of easy access to the third row. Granted, I have my second row seats removed, and it exaggerates this. The power sliding doors on my van have been nothing but problems since I have had it, so even though it is a neat feature, I would much prefer manual doors.

WTF is the point of the "bio defense" feature? In case you have to drive through the stinky part of town?

This vehicle is marketed towards soccer mom suburbanites, who are spoon fed fear on a daily basis by national and local news outlets. Why not tap into that constant fear to move a few cars?