Tesla Prepares to Launch Electric SUV
September 28 2015 - 9:00PM
Dow Jones News
Kenneth Adelman has had to learn to be patient.
An electric-car enthusiast and retired "computer geek," in
February 2012 he was the first person to plunk down a $40,000
deposit for Tesla Motors Inc.'s Model X sport-utility vehicle. At
the time, Mr. Adelman didn't know the Model X's total price, but
Chief Executive Elon Musk said the vehicle would be in his hands by
the end of 2013.
He is still waiting. After nearly two years' worth of delays,
Tesla kicks off Model X deliveries Tuesday. Although first on the
order list, Mr. Adelman, 52 years old, doesn't know when he will
get his vehicle and he is showing little concern.
"I'm happy to have waited for the X to be all that it could be,"
Mr. Adelman, who also owns a Tesla Roadster and Model S sedan, said
in a recent interview. He is confident the vehicle is a "home
run."
Topping out at $132,000, the Model X will test the Silicon
Valley electric-vehicle company's ability to preserve momentum that
has been largely unaffected by low gasoline prices and turbulence
in emerging markets. Tesla is banking on the new vehicle to help it
to achieve sales of at least 50,000 vehicle in 2015 and 500,000 by
2020.
Initial demand looks strong. Tesla has booked roughly 30,000
reservations for the vehicle, according to reservation data shared
by buyers and on Tesla fan forums. A small number of those have
been cancelled, but the order book can be considered hefty when
compared with the 21,537 Model S sedans the company sold globally
in the first six months of 2015.
Important details remain undisclosed. For instance, the price of
the top-end Signature models has been published, but the base price
is anyone's guess—the Model S, a sedan with a shared architecture,
begins at $75,000. Information on features, such as whether there
will be fold-flat second-row seating, will be made public at
Tuesday night event hosted by Mr. Musk.
The event opens a roughly two-year window during which Tesla
will be the only player in the high-end electric SUV market. Audi,
owned by embattled German auto maker Volkswagen AG, announced this
month it will build an electric luxury SUV in 2018, and other
luxury makers are expected to follow in an effort to meet stricter
emissions standards.
The launch isn't the only big project for Tesla, which has
consistently burned cash and posted quarterly losses despite
consistent revenue growth since its initial public offering in
2010. It aims to open a $5 billion battery factory in Nevada next
year.
Electric vehicles have generally lost traction amid low gas
prices since late last year, but Tesla remains an outlier. Tom
Libby, a senior auto analyst with IHS Automotive, expects the Model
X to continue that winning streak because of the segment it will
occupy.
"Tesla has this unique design, and it is going right into the
heart of the market in terms of body style," Mr. Libby said. "As a
pure status symbol I don't know how you get close to this."
But there is still potential for a letdown.
A big selling feature for the Model X is its large storage area
and family-friendly size. When Mr. Musk first showed the prototype,
he touted the option to fold the second and third rows of seats
down to make room. Free of an engine or transmission, it has more
interior space than a standard SUV.
But Mr. Musk has talked about the difficulty of designing the
second-row seats on several occasions and has hinted that the seats
were one reason why the Model X was delayed, leading to speculation
the second row may not fold flat based on images the company has
shown.
"My expectations are so high that the car has to blow me away,"
said David Waldman, 41, a business owner near Philadelphia planning
on purchasing a Model X. "If it does fold all the way down, I will
be much happier, but if it doesn't it will be the first
disappointment."
Tesla declined to comment on features ahead of the media
unveiling.
Write to Mike Ramsey at michael.ramsey@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 28, 2015 20:45 ET (00:45 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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