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Have you ever seen a minivan before? That has one sliding door and 5 people in back. I'm not sure what your argument is. It's not like by adding an additional side door Tesla is making some new class of dangerous vehicle when minivans only have one side door.
Tesla Model S Head of Product Design (Behind the Scenes) - YouTube
at 41:00 the Head of Product Design says that they "have a workaround for the roofrack for sure"
at 41:00 the Head of Product Design says that they "have a workaround for the roofrack for sure"
Olle
Active Member
roof rack solution
He also says that the secondary hinge will take over if the top part cannot open=roof rack is possible:
Tesla Motors: Designing Disruptive Innovations - RKS Sessions
He also says that the secondary hinge will take over if the top part cannot open=roof rack is possible:
Tesla Motors: Designing Disruptive Innovations - RKS Sessions
Merrill
Merrill
Since they haven't announced that the X will have towing capacity and haven't announced ANY options, it's probably premature to be looking for this one.
(I want to know, too.)
NigelM
Recovering Member
Sorry to use the "d" word but towing capacity is a deal-breaker for quite a number of folks I know. Tesla knows that, I'm confident.
Since they haven't announced that the X will have towing capacity and haven't announced ANY options, it's probably premature to be looking for this one.
If I'm not mistaken, Elon tweeted (perhaps a year ago?) that the X would have "class-leading" towing capacity.
However, I can no longer find the tweet.
Red Sage
The Cybernetic Samurai
According to the same spokesperson, "Model X will have towing capability exceeding most SUVs in its class. With all-wheel drive, incredible torque and sophisticated traction control, it will be an excellent towing machine."
Hmmm... Interesting. The price range of these vehicles varies rather widely. Some of them are Crossovers, others are full sized SUVs. I'm not sure which would actually be considered to be a competitor to the Tesla Model X, though I suppose someone who is shopping might consider them all at some point.
I listed them in descending order based upon their towing capacity. I included their fuel economy and range for the sake of comparison. At least two of them are diesel powered, though most use gasoline. None of them are hybrids.
Based on this chart, my guess is that Tesla Motors will shoot for a 6,000-7,500 LBS towing capacity with the Model X. I still believe they will need a 100+ kWh battery pack to properly compete in this segment. They will need the increased range, even when not towing anything, just to make people more comfortable with buying their Crossover.
| Vehicle | MPG | Range | Tow Rating (LBS) |
| Porsche Cayenne Turbo S | 16 | 422 | 7,716 |
| Cadillac Escalade ESV | 14 | 434 | 7,600 |
| Mercedes-Benz GL63 | 14 | 370 | 7,500 |
| Lexus LX 570 | 14 | 344 | 7,000 |
| AUDI Q7 | 22 | 581 | 5,500 |
| Acura MDX AWD | 21 | 410 | 5,000 |
| Lincoln MKT | 18 | 335 | 5,000 |
| BMW X5 xDrive50i | 17 | 381 | 3,500 |
| BMW X5 xDrive35d | 26 | 582 | 3,500 |
I listed them in descending order based upon their towing capacity. I included their fuel economy and range for the sake of comparison. At least two of them are diesel powered, though most use gasoline. None of them are hybrids.
Based on this chart, my guess is that Tesla Motors will shoot for a 6,000-7,500 LBS towing capacity with the Model X. I still believe they will need a 100+ kWh battery pack to properly compete in this segment. They will need the increased range, even when not towing anything, just to make people more comfortable with buying their Crossover.
Red Sage
The Cybernetic Samurai
AutoBlogGreen -- Model X will have excellent towing capability. Despite photo, Model S will not offer option
It's a rather old article, posted in April 2012. But it seems to be very specific on the subject.
It's a rather old article, posted in April 2012. But it seems to be very specific on the subject.
Odd that they don't even give the name of the company spokesperson. That's atypical. Might as well have said 'an anonymous source'.
Duckjybe
Member
Was just browsing Thule site for cargo box for the S and low and behold the 2015 Model X is in their database and they have options for multiple hitches with differing towing capacity and the following solution for transporting skis and bikes. Has this been around a while or is it new? Its nice Thule is for once ahead of the car being produced. Nothing in the Yakima database.
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Duckjybe
Member
Looks like the Tram 9033 is not new. So the Model X is in the database but no other rack solutions as of yet.
They mentioned they were working on some amazing solution. That is a standard hitch, and my old bike rack with ski attachment. Nothing revolutionary.
They mentioned a lot. We will need to see in a couple of weeks what the reality ends up being.
robby
Member
The image you quoted was fan-made, not Tesla-made. One of their product designers alluded to a "work around," which most folks took to be a hitch-based solution. I would be shocked if MX supports a roof rack. I don't have any inside info but I have followed MX closely for a long time, and I've never heard Elon, JB, Franz or anyone else say they were working on a rooftop solution. There was also some leaked info a while back (since taken down per TM request) from a third party accessory employee, all of which suggested a hitch-based rather than rooftop approach.
I don't get all the fuss in this day and age about local storage and cargo options - I plan to keep my ski racks and surf boards in the cloud.
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