The 2016 Tesla Model X has been officially launched at the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley. As the world’s first luxury electric SUV, the Model X paves the way for the future of electric SUVs.
As anticipated, the production-spec Model X looks almost identical to the original concept. That means it combines many of the same styling elements of the Model S sedan albeit on a slightly larger and taller scale. Of course, the most eye-catching design aspect of the Tesla Model X are the falcon doors found in place of traditional rear doors.
Operating in a similar way to gullwing doors, the falcon doors really set the Model X apart from any other SUV. Unlike normal gullwing doors which require a lot of room to open, the falcon doors don’t. Tesla has overcome this problem by double-hinging the doors while also fitting them with an ultrasonic sensor. The sensors scan the area to determine how much available space is around the car before the doors open accordingly.
Beyond the design, Tesla claims that with a drag coefficient of just 0.24, the Model X is the most aerodynamically efficient SUV ever created. It also comes complete with an active rear spoiler that adjusts between three different positions depend on the speed the vehicle is travelling.
The Tesla Model X is available in two different powertrain guises in a variety of trims. The range-topping Model X P90D uses the same two electric motors as the Model S P90D resulting in a total of 762 hp. When equipped with the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade, the Tesla Model X P90D can accelerate to 96 km/h in just 3.2 seconds as well as sprinting down the quarter mile in just 11.7 seconds.
The range-topping Model P90D with the Ludicrous package is priced from $142,000.
