It’s the $144,000 ‘nondescript’ electric SUV that Tesla desperately hopes will make it profitable again… as it claims 25,000 have been pre-ordered

• The Model X all-electric sports-utility vehicle is a milestone car for the loss-making Silicon Valley automaker
• Features include 'falcon wing' upswinging doors that can open with just 30cm of space either side and a 17in touchscreen car control
• It also has air filtration to protect customers from biological attack 
• Telsa CEO Elon Musk said: 'I think we got a little carried away with the X' 
• SUV can do 250 miles on a single charge and 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds
• Musk said customers placing orders now may not receive their new vehicles for up to a year 

By Nick Enoch for MailOnline

Published: 03:15 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 09:23 EST, 30 September 2015

Tesla Motors has just delivered the first of its long-awaited Model X all-electric sports-utility vehicles.

Product investors are counting on it to make the pioneering company profitable after years of losses - but if looks are anything to go by, some may question its $144,000 (£95,000) price tag.

While the company's iconic 2008 electric Roadster looked streamlined, sleek and sporty, its latest offering is rather clunky and nondescript - and, for a seven-seater, some might say squashed.

However, with CEO Elon Musk claiming 25,000 pre-orders for the X, he, at least, has high hopes for the model, which can do 250 miles on a single charge. 

He says if you were to order it now, it could take a year to be delivered, due to the heavy demand. 

Scroll down for video 

$144,000 for this? Tesla is pinning its hopes on the new  Model X to turn around his company's fortunes

Looks-wise, it's a far cry from the streamlined, sporty Tesla electric Roadster (above)

 The car, which seats up to seven people, features 'falcon wing' upswinging doors that can open with just 30cm of space either side

The doors are controlled by sensors that can modulate the height to clear garage ceilings

Among the Model X's futuristic features are 'falcon wing' doors, which swing upward with just 30cm space on either side; a 17in touchscreen for controlling in-car and driving systems; and an air filtration system which can apparently protect customers from a biological attack with a 'bioweapon defence mode'.

The launch of the Model X represents a milestone for the loss-making Silicon Valley automaker during a period of high spending and modest growth, because it can now boast a second model in production beyond its Model S sedan, launched in 2012.

'I think we got a little carried away with the X,' Musk told reporters ahead of a launch event near the company's Fremont factory, where luxury Model Xs have been moving down the production line in recent weeks, nearly two years behind the company's original schedule.

Musk estimated that 25,000 customers had pre-ordered the crossover online or in its stores and that it would take eight to 12 months for those ordering from now to receive the SUV.

In retrospect, the company could have done less engineering-wise, Musk said.

'There is far more there than is really necessary to sell a car. And some of the things are so difficult, they make the car better but the difficulty of engineering those parts is so high.'

Between 4,000 and 6,000 guests filled a cavernous space for the launch. Invited to the event were Model X reservation holders, Tesla employees and Model S and Roadster owners. 

The Roadster sportscar, which is no longer in production, was the company's first vehicle.

Musk has said the all-wheel-drive Model X - with two electric motors, the ability to travel about 250 miles (about 400 km) on a single charge and seating for seven people - was 'the hardest car to build in the world'.

Priced as high as $144,000 (£95,000), it features so-called 'falcon-wing' doors that open upward rather than to the side (controlled by sensors that can modulate the height to clear garage ceilings); seats that can be adjusted separately; and a panoramic windshield that extends overhead.

Musk said the biggest challenges were making the doors open in a graceful 'balletic' manner; the expansive windshield - which he said was the largest piece of glass ever used in a car; plus its sun visor and the movable seats, which he said were deceptively tricky.

'One of the hardest things to design is a good seat,' he said.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk estimated that 25,000 customers had pre-ordered the crossover online or in its stores and that it would take eight to 12 months for those ordering from now to receive the SUV

Although global adoption of electric vehicles has been slow, Tesla has been the U.S. pioneer in luxury electric cars charged by batteries

Tesla predicted its SUV would receive five-star safety ratings in all categories, based on data from its crash tests, due to its low centre of gravity, which helps reduce rollovers

Elon Musk (pictured) said: 'I think we got a little carried away with the X'

Although global adoption of electric vehicles has been slow, Tesla has been the U.S. pioneer in luxury electric cars charged by batteries. 

It is betting that high-performance and stylish offerings will boost acceptance amid a sea of alternatives, such as hybrids or electric vehicles powered by hydrogen.

Tesla predicted its SUV would receive five-star safety ratings in all categories, based on data from its crash tests, due to its low centre of gravity, which helps reduce rollovers.

The Model X, like the Model S, will be continuously improved, Tesla said, due to software transmitted 'over the air'. 

A highly anticipated update expected within the next month will allow for an auto-pilot function, in which cars can be driven hands-free on freeways. 

The buzz surrounding Tesla's Model S sedan - whose P85D variant won a top score of 100 from Consumer Reports magazine in August - has managed to pre-empt high-end German rivals such as Volkswagen's Audi and Porsche, BMW and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz.

Among the cars that could give the Model X a run for its money are petrol-electric hybrids such as the Mitsubishi Outlander Phev, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid and BMW X5 xDrive 40e.  At the Frankfurt Auto Show earlier this month, Audi unveiled its e-tron quattro sport-utility vehicle, and Porsche showed off its first battery-powered sports car, although neither will be available before 2018.

But spending on the Model X, a new Nevada battery factory and the lower-cost Model 3 due by late 2017, have all increased capital expenses, which totalled $831.2million in the first half of the year.

The Model X, he said, 'gives us a cashflow stream we can use to develop and facilitate' Tesla's three vehicles either in production or development.

Six new cars were delivered on Tuesday to a group made up of Tesla board members, investors and friends of Musk who had pre-ordered.

In August, Musk said Tesla would make between 50,000 to 55,000 Model S and Model X vehicles this year, with the capacity for 1,600 to 1,800 vehicles per week on its production line next year.

Tuesday's unveiling showcased the top-of-the-line 'Signature' Model X, priced between $132,000 and $144,000, with optional add-ons such as acceleration upgrades, packages for subzero weather package or towing.

The company has not disclosed pricing for the base model, but Musk said that in the future, there would be a 'lower cost' Model X.

Comments (81)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

Enter your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Submit Comment Clear

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now