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With the announcement of the Tesla Model Ten Tuesday, the innovative company tacks with the prevailing winds of customer choice and finally offers an SUV electrical vehicle. The bulk of cars sold in the US now are SUVs or light trucks. While it'south built on the same chassis as the existing Tesla Model S, the Model X will exist a bit longer, taller and heavier, and that means Tesla will exist challenged to render 200 miles per charge. Information technology will exist a truthful seven-seat vehicle with a forward-facing third row of seats.

The Model X will be about $71,000 earlier state and federal credits (which Tesla bakes into the large type in ads, as do other EV makers), and the functioning edition will be effectually $96,000, plus options, less those federal and state credits.

TeslaX_front_gullwing

Outset deliveries in early 2016

For those tracking car tech, the Model Ten seems like an old friend — and for practiced reason. Tesla announced the Model X in Feb 2012 and said first units would ship by the end of 2013. There take been several several postponements since, and now it looks equally if the first-in-line customers will get their Model Xs in February 2016.

Tesla says the Model X will offer 60-kWh and 85-kWh batteries. On the Model S, the EPA says they're expert for 208 and 255 miles, respectively. The Model X has more than frontal area and heavier all-wheel-drive, with a motor in front every bit well as in back. Tesla estimates the Model X will come in about 10% less, pregnant Tesla may or may not be able to claim its entry version goes 200 miles on a charge. That'southward one number we're hoping to hear described at Tuesday's rollout.

Look the Model Ten to have the near current safety technologies including commuter assist and rudimentary self-driving. Tesla is the leader in over-the-air software updates, then whatever Tesla with current hardware can be equally up-to-engagement every bit make-new Teslas. The benchmark among combustion engine vehicles would be the BMW X5 as well equally Volvo'south dazzling new XC90.

The but premium SUV EV for a yr

Assuming the Model Ten finally does transport, it will have the category — loftier-end SUVs with electric drive — all to itself for at least a year. That'south when Audi is reportedly aircraft the Audi Q8 E-tron crossover. The thought of an electric-only crossover is intriguing. A big crossover or SUV is the preferred vehicle of suburbia for soccer momming as well equally for two, sometimes three couples going for a night on the town when somebody else watches their kids. But it'due south also the go-to vehicle for long vacation trips, and that will pose a challenge. Every time Tesla talks almost how many Supercharger stations it has, those being the 440-volt devices that refill the tank in 45 minutes at no price, it's a reminder of how many places Superchargers aren't.

Up adjacent: $35,000 Tesla Model three

Many are looking past the Model X to the Tesla Model 3. If Tesla can practise a knockout sedan, information technology can do a knockout SUV. The Model 3 (formerly Model East) is the Volks-Tesla, a people'south machine with a starting price of around $35,000, although that could well be the after-tax-credits price. Only however, below $50,000 to start. Information technology will be sized and priced to compete with the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. That is expected to launch in 2016 with deliveries in 2017 and total product in 2018.

The announcement is listed as Tuesday at 7 p.m. PDT. For an interesting read, cheque out Tesla fans trying to effigy out what time it volition be on the east coast.