Over a thousand Tesla fans witnessed the extravagant unveiling of the company's first batch of Model X SUVs at an event in Fremont, California.
At the event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk presented five out of the six Tesla's that are up for grabs as the first unit is already reserved for himself. When he announced No. 4, a white SUV was then rolled onto the stage. The car was then taken by a woman.
"Stand in for Sergey?" said Musk with a chuckle. "All right."
Musk was referring to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who is one Tesla's early investors and now one of the first owners of the much awaited Model X.
Brin, president of Google's parent company Alphabet and a friend of Musk, also owns a Model S.
Musk said that the new Model X places a new bar for automotive engineering. It boasts of a number of unique features that include falcon-wing doors and an "invisible chauffeur" which opens the door automatically after detecting that the driver is approaching the vehicle and then closes by itself once the driver is seated.
"All these things together make the car amazing," said Musk.
The new Model X can seat seven people and can carry up to 5,000 pounds of cargo. It is capable to hit 60 mph in a matter of 3.2 seconds when set to "Ludicrous Mode." It starts at $132,000 with pre-orders said to have reached 25,000.
Other notable features include accident-preventing automatic emergency braking and side collision avoidance technology, a wide windshield that extends up to the roof, pedestal seats for extra leg room, and a sound system that's designed with 17 speakers.
"The car looks amazing!," said Howard Ganz, Model X customer No. 2084, after watching the event in a live stream feed. "But it would be nice to actually get in and drive."
Ganz is also one of the car's early adopters and had already placed a $5,000 deposit in December 2012.
Steve Jurvetson, venture capitalist and a Tesla investor, got the second Model X.
Eager customers who have also pre-ordered for a unit will have to wait for 8 to 12 months for their cars to be delivered. Tesla said that it is also launching the Model X in Europe at a later date. There's also the scheduled launch of the company's Model 3 in 2017 which it dubbed as "electric car for the people" since it is said to carry the price of $35,000.
