In a bid to boost sales, Tesla Motors has revealed a cheaper model of its Model X electric SUV with a shorter range.
The new Model X 60D will come with a starting price of $74,000 and a range of 200 miles compared with the Model X 75D, which the company previously announced that comes with a price tag of $83,000 and a range of 237 miles. Aside from these changes, the Model X 60D will be the same as the Model X 75D, including the top speed of 130 miles per hour and a zero to 60 miles per hour time of 6.0 seconds.
Tesla Motors is also offering the Model X 90D for $95,500 with a range of 257 miles and smart air suspension included, and the Model X P90D for $115,000 with a shorter range of 250 miles, but with Ludicrous mode, smart air suspension and an active spoiler included.
According to Tesla Motors, the release of the Model X 60D will provide customers with more flexibility in choosing the model, price and range that will best fit their lifestyles.
The electric car manufacturer has confirmed that the Model X 60D will actually be just a software-limited version of the Model X 75D. The cheaper version will come with the same 75 kWh battery pack, which can be fully unlocked at any time by paying $9,500. The customer will then receive a software update over the air that will essentially upgrade the Model X 60D into a Model X 75D.
Tesla Motors added that, with the announcement of the Model X 60D, the company will no longer be manufacturing 60 kWh battery packs, which will provide efficiencies to the production process of the electric car manufacturer and will allow it to pass cost saving and flexibility to its customers.
Tesla Motors has been looking to enter a wider market, with the highly anticipated Model 3 to carry a price tag of only $35,000. The electric vehicle will be the cheapest offering of Tesla Motors, but its production will only start in late 2017.
While waiting for the Model 3, Tesla Motors has been attaching lower price tags to its vehicles as it looks to reverse the slowing sales growth. In June, the company reintroduced the Model S 60 with a price tag of $66,000, and it will be the cheapest electric car offered by Tesla Motors until the Model 3 hits the market.
The Model X 60D is the latest product of that initiative. According to the official website of Tesla Motors, the vehicle is expected to begin shipping out in late September, alongside the other variations of the Model X.
