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Tesla Unveils New Electric Blend of SUV and Minivan
Green Technology Featured Articles
February 10, 2012

Tesla Unveils New Electric Blend of SUV and Minivan

By Jacqueline Lee
Contributing Writer

Tesla Motors, the world’s best-known manufacturer of electric vehicles, revealed a new SUV/minivan hybrid that it is calling “Model X” at the company’s Los Angeles design studio. The car is expected to retail for between $55,000 and $75,000 and will most likely enter production in late 2013.


“The world desperately needs sustainable transport,” Tesla’s co-founder and CEO Elon Musk said during the car's unveiling. “We want to show that electric cars are, in fact, better than gasoline.”

Model X has enough seating to fit seven adults in three rows and also offers ample storage space thanks to its “falcon wing” door design. The car also features a new dual-motor at the front and rear of the vehicle as well as an all-wheel drive system, which will shift power to where there is the most traction. With the second motor boosting torque by 50 percent, the car will be able to reach 60 mph in less than five seconds.

News of the Model X follows news that Tesla’s family sedan, the seven-seater Model S, will be released for purchase in the middle of this year. The base Model S, which will retail for around $57,400, was Tesla’s first foray into down-market expansion. The company’s premier car, the Tesla Roadster, retails for a base price of about $109,000. The Model S will be competitive with cars such as the BMW 5-series.

With the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Scion iQ, electric vehicles have begun to enter the mainstream auto market. However, sales so far have been disappointing. GM is defiantly upping production of the Volt to 60,000 units this year from less than 10,000 units last year. The Leaf sold nearly 9,000 units in 2011, but drivers have criticized its range. Although Leaf advertised a range of 100 miles without a recharge, drivers found that, especially with the air conditioner running, the range was closer to 70 miles.

Many customers wonder if the initial cost of purchasing an electric car is worthwhile in the long run. Edmunds.com recently reported that the Nissan Leaf, which retails for $41,000, has a true ownership cost of less than $7,400 per year over five years. The figure takes into account savings on gasoline as well as insurance and maintenance costs. That places the cost of owning a Leaf at about the same level as the cost of owning a Nissan Altima, which retails for about $20,000.


Jacqueline Lee is a TMCnet contributor who produces web content, blogs and articles for numerous websites including wikiHow.com. Her background is in business and education.

Edited by Jennifer Russell


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