Tesla says cheaper Model X on the way
Tesla Motors will offer a cheaper version of its new Model X crossover as pressure mounts from auto-safety regulators, securities investigators and investors to prove its vehicles are safe, its practices are fair and its business is sound.
The Silicon Valley automaker is set to deliver a Model X crossover that starts at $74,000 before tax credits.
The vehicle, dubbed the 60D version of the Model X, can travel an estimated 200 miles on a single charge with its 60 kilowatthour battery. It can travel from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6 seconds.
Other versions of the vehicle come with batteries of 75- and 90-kilowatt-hours and range in starting price up to $115,500.
“Model X is the safest, quickest and most capable sport-utility vehicle in history, and existing owners are loving their cars,” Tesla said in a statement. “Our versatile product platform and efficient manufacturing processes make it possible to seamlessly extend these types of compelling offerings to customers.”
Among the features on the new Model X will be Tesla’s controversial Autopilot feature.
The new Model X’s release comes amid questions about the pace of production of the luxury electric vehicle. The automaker’s “up time” for production of the all-new Model X crossover — a figure used to gauge how often the assembly line was running — is as low as 50%, Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache said last week in a research note.
Still, Tesla said this month its production rate is speeding up. The company was making 2,000 vehicles per week, including its Model S sedan, at the end of the second quarter, meeting a target set in May.