After more than a few false starts, Elon Musk officallly launched Tesla Motors’ second original vehicle, the Model X, late Tuesday night at a ceremony in California.
Expanding the all-electric lineup, the Model X is the SUV cousin to the wildly successful Model S sedan. Motors in the front and back promise to send the all-wheel drive SUV to a top speed of 155 mph. The base model 90D has a 257-mile range and has a decent, 4.8-second 0 to 60 time. Shell out for the performance version, the P90D, and the utility vehicle can rocket forward in a mere 3.2 seconds.
One of the more unique features of the Model X (and the alleged source for the vehicle’s delays) is the set of falcon doors. These rear doors differ from the gullwing doors seen on classics like the Mercedes 300 SL and the (slightly) more modern DeLorean in that they are hinged in the center, allowing the doors to open in a vertical fashion. Calling the front doors “standard” hardly does them justice as they self-present themselves as the driver approaches, opening automatically and closing once the driver is seated.
The five-door utility vehicle fits people and a boatload of cargo. Along with that, it sports a 5,000-pound towing capacity. If hitching Airstreams isn’t your thing, an accessory attachment can be mounted in seconds that can accommodate multiple bikes and skis.
If you’ve eagerly awaited this day, hopeful to get your hands on one, you’ll sadly have to wait ever so slightly longer: The first round of Model Xs have been already pre-ordered — Tesla fanatics have reportedly already bought tens of thousands of them — with the next round becoming available to customers in several months. The initial “signature series” models sold for around $130,000, but the standard one will be slightly cheaper, the company says.
Though hotly anticipated, it’ll still take a bit of time to see if the Model X will be the SUV that defies convention, like the drag-racing, crush-test-machine-breaking–ludicrous-mode-sporting Model S.
In the meantime, we’ll reset our clocks and start our wait for the Model 3.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.