Tesla has released details of the Model X electric SUV; it gets 772hp and a claimed range of over 400 kilometres on a charge. European buyers should take delivery by the end of 2016.
Exterior
When it was shown as a concept car the Tesla Model X came with upward opening 'Falcon Wing' doors to give easy entry to the back seats. These have been carried over to the production model and are said to need only 30cm of space either side to open. Sonar sensors in the doors and roof monitor the car's surroundings and adjust how far the doors open.
The body has a drag coefficient of 0.24, said to be the lowest of any SUV and is designed to be as safe as possible. A large front crumple zone is built into the structure because there is no engine under the bonnet and the door pillars are designed to provide maximum stiffness.
Interior
Further safety features include autonomous emergency braking, a side collision detection system, plus forward-facing camera, radar and sonar sensors. Wireless updates will be used to enhance the car's safety systems including steering and parking assistance. The goal is to bring the Model X close to autonomous operation.
Interior design is related to the Model S with a 17-inch touchscreen interface. A dashboard-mounted HEPA filter system is said to be capable of delivering 'medical grade air' to the car interior.
Mechanicals
The dual-electric motor set-up - shared with the Model S P85D - combines a front motor delivering 262hp with a 510hp rear motor. Tesla claims 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h for the 'Signature' version, which comes with a 90kWh battery and a range of over 400km. Standard '90D' models lose a little performance with 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds.
Anything else?
Tesla boss Elon Musk said: "It's important to show that any type of car can go electric. We showed a sports car can go electric, we've showed it with a sedan and now we're going to show that we can do it with an SUV. It's important that we move to a sustainable world sooner rather than later."