After being delayed by a year, the Tesla Model X will finally be hitting the retail markets in the second half of the year, unless Tesla comes up again with another aberration or excuse to push back the long-awaited market debut of its sport utility crossover electric vehicle.
Tesla Model X is a full-size crossover utility vehicle (CUV) which was unveiled by Tesla Motors in Los Angeles, California as early as February 2012.
It is currently being developed from the full-size sedan platform of the Tesla Model S and will be mass produced at the company’s factor in Fremont, California.
Production of the Tesla Model X was initially scheduled to start by the end of 2013 but was later postponed by the company several times in order for Tesla Motors to meet its production targets and also to be able to prepare for the overseas roll out of the Tesla Model S.
The Tesla Model S has already been launched two years ago and it will hit the global retail markets around the third quarter of 2015.
July or September
While the all-wheel drive electric vehicle has been reported to roll out to the retail markets in July this year, Elon Musk, Tesla chief executive officer, in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal said that the company is indeed planning to put the Model X on sale by July but its latest earnings press release indicate that the vehicle may actually hit the markets late in the third quarter of 2015 or September.
Releasing the Model X, which will sport spiffy gullwing doors and capable of conveniently seating seven passengers including the driver, late in third quarter of 2015 also makes sense since it was produced later than the Model S.
It would be absurd for Tesla to release the Model X ahead of the Model S considering that the latter vehicle has already been on testing phase since the start of the year while Model X is still in development.
Musk said that what really matters for the company is to be able to ensure the first deliveries of the Model X and he believes that August, rather than July, is a more realistic target for Tesla. He said that once initial deliveries have been assured, it would be pretty easy ironing out the details of subsequent deliveries.
He said that he wants everything to be perfect for both the Model X and the Model S when the electric cars officially hit the markets soon.
Glad the MX was delayed, now will be released with all sorts of driver and driving assistance.
Plus, those nifty doors, be jealous commoners.