Model X Tesla Announces Model X SUV

[Wolfgang]

From the Tesla Motors Club.

 

[KiwiRob]

From the Tesla Motors Club.

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Note that this is from the tesla motors club forum not Tesla themselves, Musk said you could use the strip betwen the doors for carrying stuff, that would fit a single pair of cross country skis, now what about towing?

No, you're not being sarcastic, you're just being KiwiRob and talking nonsense. Even on a suv nation like mine, the vast majority of owners don't tow anything nor put anything on the roof. I've only seem once a crossover carrying bikes on the roof, and it was a GLA, a car whose roof is barely higher than a hatchback like mine. Same with boxes. Suv are too damn high to be practical and carry stuff on their roofs.

Lastly, if you think the car doesn't suit you, great, you made your point more than once and ad nauseam, so please move on and stop spreading your ill hate and contaminating this thread

In the crazy SUV and roof box loving world that is Scandinavia the vast majority of owners do carry items on the roof, I've also never seen an SUV here without a tow bar.

How many people in Bolivia ski, how many own a some type of trailer, in winter in Norway well over 50% of vehicles will have a ski rack or box on the roof, half the people I know own a trailer of some type, boat, caravan.

I also wonder how the X is going to handle snow on the roof and the doors icing up. It would be a bit of a bitch if you couldn't open them quickly and easily.

So what happens in Bolivia means jack shit. BTW how many Model S have been sold in Bolivia?

 

[Sunny]

So what happens in Bolivia means jack shit. BTW how many Model S have been sold in Bolivia?

I don't have any numbers, but I am going go out on a limb and say, there are few more SUVs here in US than Norway. Most are running around with soccer mums lugging kids, not towing boats or carrying canoes. I know Tesla is popular in Norway, but there are still probably more Teslas within a 40 miles radius of me than probably in all of Norway. Both of which probably mean the biggest market for Model X is probably suburban US.

I am also going to go out on a limb and say Musk is smarter than you. He is also probably a little richer than you. Both of which also probably means he actually thought of hiring market researchers who probably have figured what it means as far as the target market is concerned to not have a roof rack (if that indeed turns out to be the case) vs gull wing doors. Maybe it a few jerks in Norway won't buy one... means jack shit.

 

[KiwiRob]

Norway is the second largest market for Tesla outside of the United States, they've sold around 12,000 Models S here, this year sales have been around 500 per month, it's not an expensive car for Norwegians, so yeah it matters what a bunch of jerks in Norway want. You live in SF what about SUV owners in snow belt areas, do you ski or do any kind of outdoor activity, just because the soccer mums in your area don't put stuff on the roof or tow doesn't mean owners outside of your area don't.

Of course Musk is smarter than me, richer to, he's also smarter and richer than you, but like a lot of people in his position he's not thinking practically, he's thinking this is a cool idea and I'm going to run with it even if a crap load of my customers don't think it's a good idea. If you read the Tesla owners club forum there are hundreds of posts by potential owners who think the doors are a stupid idea.

I believe they would sell far more of them if they had conventional opening back doors. If X flops it will be down to the doors.

 

[tristatez28lt1]

I don't like the car but I'm sure it'll sell great in the U.S. SUVs are not the SUVs from years ago. Tell me one customer who really uses their SUV as we used SUVs a decade ago. It's basically a lifted, cooler station wagon.

That brings me to other questions:
What do you think is the main customer for SUVs?
Do the experts from this forum believe that the off road capabilities are important to a customer, especially in the high end segment?

 

[KiwiRob]

I don't think off road abilities matter much in many markets, but in others like the Middle East, Russia and Australia they do.

I don't own an SUV, I won't buy one as a decent sized station wagon does everything I need it to do, it tows, I use the roof for skis and a roof box, I can fit my kids in it for a car holiday, it's also more economical to buy and run.

Now I would buy an electric car if I could get 1000 plus KM range from it and the ability to recharge it to 100% in under 10 minutes, someday this will be possible but I'm not going to throw money at one today.

 

[Sunny]

It's basically a lifted, cooler station wagon.

Exactly right. What sells SUVs today in US
- Ride hight, somehow it makes people feel safer/powerful.
- Spacious, but not uncool minivan.

but I'm not going to throw money at one today.

Maybe because the money is from the oil industry?

 

[KiwiRob]

No my incomes is not derived from Norways oil and gas industry, neither is my wifes.

You just hit the nail on it's head as well, this is no SUV it's a minivan in drag.

 

[Sunny]

You just hit the nail on it's head as well, this is no SUV it's a minivan in drag.

Yes, like quite a few other SUVs in the market today.

 

[klier]

So what happens in Bolivia means jack shit. BTW how many Model S have been sold in Bolivia?

And what happens in Norway does?

LOL

BTW, I think Holland is he biggest market of Tesla in the world, looking at the numbers sold vs the number of people living here. And even though it looks, uhm, weird, it will sell like hotcakes.

 

[KiwiRob]

And what happens in Norway does?

Since Norway is Tesla's biggest export market yes it sure does. I doubt there are many (if any?) Tesla's on Bolivian roads, which makes his opinion worthless.

BTW, I think Holland is he biggest market of Tesla in the world, looking at the numbers sold vs the number of people living here. And even though it looks, uhm, weird, it will sell like hotcakes.

Nop Norway is Tesla's biggest export market and the second largest after the US, although Musk has predicted China will become the largest market surpassing the US. Certainly bigger than the Nedtherlands, there's 25 supercharger stations in Norway right now, with a lot more planned, including one down the road from me, there's only 5 in the Netherlands.

I not sure what kind of math they teach where you come from klier, Tesla sells more Model S in Norway, a market with about 11 million less people living in it, on any scale you look at Norway is the bigger market and dwarfs the Netherlands on a per capita basis.

 

[KiwiRob]

Yes, like quite a few other SUVs in the market today.

And most of these come with the ability to tow.

 

[Giannis]

And most of these come with the ability to tow.

Man, do you seriously think that someone who wants a new car and will use the said car for towing, will ever consider an electric car, of whatever brand?

Tesla has a completely different target group and they are just using the same modular underpinnings to launch a (small) variety of different bodies, just to cater a wider variety of needs. They are about to launch a SUV styled Model X, for those that don't want a sedan or sportscar. They didn't set to create the electric Land Rover Defender of the 21st century.

 

[montana]

Man, do you seriously think that someone who wants a new car and will use the said car for towing, will ever consider an electric car, of whatever brand?

Tesla has a completely different target group and they are just using the same modular underpinnings to launch a (small) variety of different bodies, just to cater a wider variety of needs. They are about to launch a SUV styled Model X, for those that don't want a sedan or sportscar. They didn't set to create the electric Land Rover Defender of the 21st century.

I can't 'speak' for other countries, but as far as Norway goes, @KiwiRob does have a point sir. Not that anyone would use the car strictly for towing, but to be able to tow every now and then really does help from time to time. And a lot of people here actually do put things on their car roof for whatever reasons (skiing, trips, and so on), you see it all the time... And if Norway is one of the markets Tesla aims for with this Model X, then it's a bit of a letdown IMO. Not that I'm considering one, just thinking out loud.

 

[Wolfgang]

Towing?

Tesla Model X Spotted while Towing a Dump Trailer, Testing 10,000 lbs Towing Capacity

Now, if you remember, previous spyshots revealed a tow hitch coming out of the camouflage foil that was generously covering the car. It looks like Elon Musk thought it was high time engineers tested the towing capacity announced by Jim Chen, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Tesla, during the Georgia Technology Summit.

We're talking about a theoretical towing capacity close to 10,000 pounds, or 4,535 kg. Just to put things into perspective, consider this: the Ram 1500 Express has a maximum towing capacity of 10,500 lbs (4,762 kg), so yeah, the Model X will also know how to throw a punch, if we are to put it metaphorically.

Also, if we consider the trailer weighs around 1,500 lbs (680 kg), you'd still have 7,500 pounds (3,402 kg) worth of speedboat, motorcycles or whatnot to pull from A to B.

Autoevolution

 

[Giannis]

I can't 'speak' for other countries, but as far as Norway goes, @KiwiRob does have a point sir. Not that anyone would use the car strictly for towing, but to be able to tow every now and then really does help from time to time. And a lot of people here actually do put things on their car roof for whatever reasons (skiing, trips, and so on), you see it all the time... And if Norway is one of the markets Tesla aims for with this Model X, then it's a bit of a letdown IMO. Not that I'm considering one, just thinking out loud.

@montana

I am of the opinion that if you want good off road abilities, great towing abilities, etc, you buy yourself a diesel SUV with a ladder chassis.

Then there's a lot of other cars, SAVs, minivans, jacked-up station wagons, that can do many things, quite good. Not perfect, but good. Anything with a trailer hitch is good for someone who will occasionally hook a trailer to his car.

Our friend, KiwiRob, is of the opinion that the Model X should be either the best, or nothing. Well, it can't be. It can't be the ultimate trailer towing vehicle and it can't have the ultimate off road capabilities of a Unimog.

 

[KiwiRob]

@montana

I am of the opinion that if you want good off road abilities, great towing abilities, etc, you buy yourself a diesel SUV with a ladder chassis.

You don't need a ladder chassis to tow, almost every SUV on sale in Europe has a unitary chassis (G, Defender and Discovery are the exceptions) all the bigger ones can tow without problems 3000 to 3500kg, and you can put stuff on the roof. JLR has also proven that you don't need a ladder chassis for good offroad abilities either.

Our friend, KiwiRob, is of the opinion that the Model X should be either the best, or nothing. Well, it can't be. It can't be the ultimate trailer towing vehicle and it can't have the ultimate off road capabilities of a Unimog.

I disagree with you, an SUV should at the very minimum be able to tow, load items on the roof, take a family up a skifield access road, it's an SUV, not a sports car. A Defender is a pretty terrible thing to use as a daily driver in a city environment, a Mog would be even worse, I couldn't imagine anyone being that daft.

 

[KiwiRob]

Towing?


Tesla Model X Spotted while Towing a Dump Trailer, Testing 10,000 lbs Towing Capacity

Now, if you remember, previous spyshots revealed a tow hitch coming out of the camouflage foil that was generously covering the car. It looks like Elon Musk thought it was high time engineers tested the towing capacity announced by Jim Chen, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Tesla, during the Georgia Technology Summit.

We're talking about a theoretical towing capacity close to 10,000 pounds, or 4,535 kg. Just to put things into perspective, consider this: the Ram 1500 Express has a maximum towing capacity of 10,500 lbs (4,762 kg), so yeah, the Model X will also know how to throw a punch, if we are to put it metaphorically.

Also, if we consider the trailer weighs around 1,500 lbs (680 kg), you'd still have 7,500 pounds (3,402 kg) worth of speedboat, motorcycles or whatnot to pull from A to B.

Autoevolution

I'd imagine the range with 10,000 pounds on the back would be minuscule at best.

 

[Giannis]

I disagree with you, an SUV should at the very minimum be able to tow, load items on the roof, take a family up a skifield access road, it's an SUV, not a sports car. A Defender is a pretty terrible thing to use as a daily driver in a city environment, a Mog would be even worse, I couldn't imagine anyone being that daft.

I just checked that the Discovery Sport can tow up to 2200 kg and has a maximum roof load of 165 kg. For comparison purposes, an Audi A6 sedan can tow up to 2100 kg and has a maximum roof load of 100 kg. If you get an A6 Allroad Quattro, then you get the Disco Sport ride height, as well, lagging only in roof load.

 

[KiwiRob]

My ideal next car will be the C8 Allroad e-tron, and after that a full electric should be able to give me what my current diesel A6 can offer in terms of range, refuelling time and general ability.