Tesla Motors has unveiled the long-awaited Model X electric SUV, with the company giving the world its first look at six units of the production model of the vehicle.
Afterwards, the keys of the six Model X SUVs were given to six customers, who are now the first owners of the groundbreaking vehicle that was first introduced in 2012.
The Model X P90D model, which has a price tag of $132,000, is able to go from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds. Customers have the option to add a "Ludicrous" mode to the vehicle for an additional $10,000, with the reward being able to take down the 0-60 mph time even lower to 3.2 seconds. The Model X will also boast of a range of 250 miles on a single charge with top speeds hitting 155 mph.
The Model X features unique "falcon wing" doors which have ultrasonic sensors to tell their distance to other vehicles, a wide windshield extending into the roof, pedestal seats to give the driver and passenger more foot room and the "invisible chauffeur ," which automatically opens the front door if it detects the driver, with the vehicle's keys in his pocket, walking towards the Model X.
The vehicle also packs a HEPA air filter which, according to Musk, could even filter out chemicals coming from a launched biological weapon. There is even a bioweapon defense mode in the HVAC menu of the Model X.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, said that he has one regret about the Model X, and it is that the company could have gone a bit overboard in pushing the engineering that went into the electric SUV.
"I think we got a little carried away with the X," said Musk. "If we had known the true engineering costs and complexity, we would have done fewer things," he added.
Musk unveiled a prototype of the Model X in 2012, with production then slated to commence in 2013. However, the production was pushed back to 2014 and then to 2015 as Tesla Motors solved several issues with the vehicle.
Upon the launch of the Model X, it will only be available with a 90 kilowatt-hour battery, which is the biggest that is offered by Tesla Motors. Musk, however, said that the option for smaller capacities will be made available with a lower price in the future.
For customers looking to order a Model X, they would have to wait around 8 months to 12 months before a unit is delivered to them. This is because current production is moving at a slow pace, with Musk not being able to make an estimate on how many units of Model X that Tesla Motors could build this year.
