Despite being released last year already, the Tesla Model X remains an interesting study object for a range of car manufacturers and influential people in the automotive world. Just last month when given a private tour around the Model X in Geneva, we saw CEO’s of both Pagani and Daimler including delegation taking a detailed look for themselves.
News just emerged about the Ford Motor Company paying no less than $200,000 for a Tesla Model X, a cool $55,000 more than the car’s listing price, to be able to get their hands on one of the first Model X all-electrical SUVs rolling off the assembly line in the United States.
Ford purchased the 64th Tesla Model X to leave the factory doors, a special white ‘Founders Series’ edition. It’s obvious that Ford is interested in what’s beneath the Model X’ skin and the fact that they purchased one as a study object isn’t something new to the automotive world. However, the fact that they paid such a hefty price for this Model X in particular, seems highly unusual.
Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Autotrader.com, suspects that Ford isn’t the only car builder to have purchased a Tesla Model X. General Motors and Toyota are expected to be among the early adopters as well. The reason that Ford was so keen to be one of the first to purchase a Tesla Model X is the fact that they’re planning to add 13 electric and hybrid cars to their portfolio by 2020 as part of a $4.5 billion investment and hope to learn from the Model X.
What warrants such a drastic investment is a federal mandate that requires cars in several categories to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Give me an all electric Ford 370Z