Tesla eyes big league with Model X

US-based Tesla has already generated a small but devoted band of followers for its Roadster and four-door Model S, and now the premium electric-car specialist has conjured up a seven-seat SUV to cash in on the burgeoning demand for full-size soft-roaders.

The big claims to fame for the Model X are that it can sprint from 0-100km/h faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera, as well as offering a touring range of just over 430km on a single charge.

The Model X will be built at Tesla’s California-based plant, with US pricing starting at $50,000 for the entry-level variant, with the range-topper likely to cost around $90,000 when it goes on sale in around two years.

There are economies of scale at work in the Model X as it borrows 60 per cent of its hardware from the Model S sedan and, despite its large-wagon format, it gains only 10 per cent in bulk, tipping the scales at just under two tonnes – which isn’t excessively lardy when you consider the new BMW M5 weighs a hefty 1945kg.

Its makers say the Model X will be offered with the choice of a 60kWh or 85kWh battery pack, which should provide touring ranges of 335km and 430km respectively. Importantly, the heavy battery pack is housed in the floor to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible.

The most potent version offers a claimed 0-60mph (0-96km/h) sprint of 4.4sec, and company boss Elon Musk suggests an even more high-po model is in the pipeline.

In keeping with its SUV format, the Model X has a new all-wheel-drive system whereby each axle is powered by its own electric motor, with torque split between left and right wheels being constantly varied to boost stability and minimise wheelslip. Tesla boasts the system is more precise than any other all-wheel-drive system currently on the market.

The Model X debuts some interesting packaging novelties, and among these are ‘falcon’ rear doors that open vertically (allegedly making life easy in tight parking spots and small garages), while up front there’s an additional boot for added storage, theoretically allowing the vehicle to accommodate seven adults and their luggage.

Company execs say the streamlined SUV will go into production by the end of 2013, and it’s shaping as a key model addition for the niche brand.

“This will be our most important, and highest-volume, car when it comes out,” Tesla boss Musk was quoted as saying at the Model X’s reveal in California. “It has more utility than a minivan, and better performance, much better performance, than an SUV.”

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