Space entrepreneur, electric car pioneer and all-round innovator Elon Musk has delivered the first of his firm's new Model X SUVs. Living up to his image as a potential Bond villain, Musk has fitted the gull-winged all-electric SUV with a defence system against a bio-weapon attack.
With an eye towards a potential zombie apocalypse, the car has a HEPA filter system, which can fill the cabin with medical-grade air if under attack from chemical weapons.
“If there was a bioweapon attack, all you need to do is get in your car,” Musk said. There has been no mention so far of optional machine-gun turrets.
While it’s not at the top of many motorists’ wishlists, the bioweapon defence system may appeal to those who fear for the future of our planet. The Model X’s all-electric powertrain means no more concerns about dirty diesel or the latest VW scandal.
Tesla claims a range of 400km on a single charge of the car's 90 kilowatt-hour battery pack with a performance car acceleration of 3.8 seconds from standing start to 100km/h.
Double-hinged doors
Other features include double-hinged doors that open vertically, automatic emergency braking, an expansive front windshield that stretches up onto the roof, and 17 audio speakers.
Musk handed over the first six Model X SUVs to owners in California on Tuesday night. The coming-out party for the long-awaited SUV – originally slated to debut in 2013 – drew roughly 1,000 people to a Tesla building in Fremont, California.
Tesla designed its first SUV in part to appeal to families with children and female drivers, as women buy more than half of small SUVs in the US, according to JD Power and Associates. The vehicle is designed with safety at the forefront, and internal crash tests indicate that it should receive five-star safety ratings, according to the company.
It will also help fund Tesla’s work on the Model 3, a more affordable vehicle due in late 2017 and aimed at taking on the likes of the BMW 3-Series.
“The X doubles our addressable market and gives us cash flow to develop the Model 3,” said Musk.
The first Model Xs are limited-edition founders series that typically go to board members and close friends of the company. Those are followed by the signature series models, which are fully loaded, require a $40,000 deposit and start at $132,000. A lower-priced base Model X will be released at a later date. The all-wheel-drive SUV can be ordered in either six- or seven-seat versions.
While the two-passenger third row seat folds down flat, the second row seats tilt forward and move up but don’t fold flat.
Tesla has not yet released details on what the price of the base version will be. The Model X is capable of towing 5,000lbs (2,267kg). Standard features include a forward-looking camera, radar and 360-degree sonar sensors to enable advanced autopilot features that Tesla will roll out to customers over time via over-the-air software updates. Tesla aims to deliver 50,000 to 55,000 vehicles this year, compared with a previous target of 55,000. – (Additional reporting: Bloomberg)
