Tesla's most affordable Model X has disappeared without warning, just three months after it was released.
The company announced the Tesla Model X 60D back in July, costing $74,000 before incentives, much cheaper than the starting price of Model X at $80,000. It was Tesla's most affordable electric vehicle up until its sudden discontinuation. The 60D can hit zero to 60 miles per hour in 6 seconds, with a top speed of 130 mph. It had a 200-mile range, but users were given the option to "upgrade" the battery capacity, which cost them $9,500.
The Model X 60D may have been cut from the lineup, but the sedan variant is still up and running. For those who want to get themselves a Model X, it'll cost $85,500 before incentives, inclusive of the $1,200 destination charge. The price point is $10,000 more than what the 60D cost, but the range has been upped to 237 miles.
A Tesla spokesperson said that the new product lineup is more fitting for consumers who are looking for an electric SUV that has a longer range. Presumably, the 60D didn't make a dent in the market for Tesla, so it's being replaced by the Model X 75D, now considered to be Tesla's new entry-level electric vehicle available.
Tesla's move to pull the 60D spells bad news for those who found the price well within their means to adopt an electric vehicle. Tesla's successful Q3 deliveries and plans to rally up rapid assembly of other models may be the underlying reasons why it has cut the 60D from its lineup. Keep in mind that the company aims to deliver 500,000 Tesla cars by 2018, and the 60D might not be helping the company reach the goal.
It's safe to assume that the 60D underperformed, given its short market life span. Tesla probably yanked future assembly of the model to make way for the forthcoming Model 3, of which almost 400,000 have already been preordered. It's likely that Elon Musk, Tesla's chief executive, will ramp up production if they want to deliver the preorders.
Last week, Tech Times reported that Tesla is currently creating plans to expand its Fremont factory twice its current size. It's likely that there was not enough demand for the 60D to fit into the overall logistics of the company reaching its goal, so it's necessary to scrap it instead, it being a weaker-selling model.
It's up to Tesla to reveal the reasoning behind the 60D's discontinuation, but it seems unlikely for the company to dwell in the past considering its very busy schedule ahead. On Oct. 28, it's set to unveil a Solar roof that will integrate with the PowerWall 2.0 solar storage. This, with the plans previously mentioned, likely means 60D won't make a return. If you want a Tesla, you're going to need to settle for the more expensive 75D.
