Off-Road Ability of Model X?

[bonnie]

> BMW, Volvo wagon, etc [bonnie]

What, no Roadster?! :smile:
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Wellllllll ... I'll post a pic one of these days on a road I DID take the Roadster on. Successfully. Slowly. Always knowing I could hit reverse if necessary. Sometimes you have to ignore the low washed out parts of the road and just focus on the good parts.

 

[wycolo]

Sorry, wish we could stop to help! :frown:

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[pthill65]

Just to bump this thread a little... What about an off-road package? A farther travel air suspension and some increased underbody protection, perhaps some different AWD modes/traction control settings, different tires? I agree that many people wouldn't use it, myself included, but I wonder what people think of its feasibility as an add-on. It would certainly be able to power an electric winch unlike anything else!

 

[Lloyd]

The Monster SUV option?

 

[EchoDelta]

The Monster SUV option?

View attachment 47565

Now I want to change suspension height *and* tire size from console screen.

A slider going from 19 to.. 40? Inches .. Would be nice.

 

[pthill65]

Would it automatically grow me a mullet too?:scared::scared::scared:

 

[EchoDelta]

Would it automatically grow me a mullet too?:scared::scared::scared:

That's an option and another slider on the console. Comes with a 3 wolf moon shirt with the tesla logo on the back.
</offtopic>

 

[Chrisr400cc]

I wonder when the day will come when a all electric vehicle will win the Baja 1000 (or Baja 500 would probably happen first) Done up right the Model X could do it. They would have to do a few battery swaps along the way, maybe a custom trailer rig they could pull up on and do the swap. It would be expensive but so are all the other trucks that race in that event.

Actually you wouldn't even have to win. All you would have to do is just finish the race. A lot of Trucks can't even finish it.

 

[theganjaguru]

That's why I didn't.

Are you sure what you know you are saying?

You specifically said:

Jeep and Land Rover are the two exceptions

TWO EXCEPTIONS. Not some of the exceptions, TWO EXCEPTIONS! That is about as absolute as you can get my friend.

I provided you a picture/link from the porsche web page where they are flaunting the off road capability of the Cayenne. But rather than admit that your assertion is incorrect, you go on about targeted searches? That I had to "do a targeted search".. No actually all I had to do was read and click a link or two.. Many of us read rather than rely on the google for everything.

Besides, if someone is going to shell out any amount of money fore a new car, don't you think that they are going to go beyond the landing page? I am sure you do when you buy your cars. I know research the ba-jesus out of things when I am buying expensive toys.

Trying to invalidate my point as "Not marketing off road ability" because it is not on the first page for the Cayanne is ridiculous. It's like saying that ford doesn't market trucks because the F150 is currently not front and center on their website.

But I am not going to get into semantics with you. Because I will continue to point out more empirical evidence about luxury SUV manufactures are marketing the off road ability of their Utes and just like fox news, you will try and debunk the facts with your personal opinion... So it doesn't make sense for me to go about this logically because you won't allow yourself to accept new information….

Here is about as basic as I can put my point so that maybe you will get what I am saying:

Model S cannot ford water.
Model X will share same drivetrain/battery architecture as the X (this is why we will see an AWD S)
Nissan Leaf - Can ford Water:

BMW i3/i8 Can ford water

Porsche Cayman, BWM X5, Range Rover, Land Rover, Land Rover Evoque and even the MB can all ford a decent amount of water…

But your $100k Model x will get cold feet and won't' be able to do that?! Does that sound like "The worlds best SUV"? Sounds like fail to me…. Especially when the little leaf seems to move like a badass in water. But your 100k Tesla can't? That is unacceptable for me.

Ya ya, most people won't ever need it. But people buy SUV's for piece of mind. They want to know that if a disaster like Katrina comes along or they get a massive flood in their area, that their top of the line SUV will be able to get them where they need to go without pooping the bed because it got a little wet.

I LOVE Tesla. But just because I am a fanboy, doesn't mean I am going to give them a pass. As a fan and a shareholder, when they say BEST/Class Leading SUV, they need to deliver… If it can't do what a little Nissan Leaf does in water then they have failed to meet that goal. Period.

 

[ElSupreme]

Here is about as basic as I can put my point so that maybe you will get what I am saying:

Model S cannot ford water.
Model X will share same drivetrain/battery architecture as the X (this is why we will see an AWD S)
Nissan Leaf - Can ford Water:

Well the BMWs are fording ~4" of water. They don't even come to the front air dam on the i3.
The Nissan looks to be fording ~6-8" of water.

I am sure the Model S could do either of these drives. But just because those cars made it through the water doesn't mean they weren't damaged in some way. Or that driving through water isn't bad for them in some way either.

I am not sure why you seem to think the Model S fording ability is somehow unacceptable, or not adequate. More than 6" of water is a BIG DEAL for almost any car (obviously ground clearance on SUVs gives them an advantage). I've seen a BWM 3 series flood his engine/car in ~6-8" of water.

 

[EchoDelta]

I LOVE Tesla. But just because I am a fanboy, doesn't mean I am going to give them a pass. As a fan and a shareholder, when they say BEST/Class Leading SUV, they need to deliver… If it can't do what a little Nissan Leaf does in water then they have failed to meet that goal. Period.

I'm feeling this too. I can understand tradeoffs involved in launching complex 1.0 products, so I empathize with the need for thoughtful suboptimality.... But in the end driving through a puddle safely should be within design specs for this car IMO. Coatings and materials are becoming affordable for this too- maybe it becomes an option?

As increased downpours happen more often even most urban environments may have their drainage systems overwhelmed. If you expect to have this car for 10 years you can expect to have to go through a series of record breaking rainfall levels in many areas of the us / world (go to EPA site for conservative data)

 

[Cottonwood]

I'm feeling this too. I can understand tradeoffs involved in launching complex 1.0 products, so I empathize with the need for thoughtful suboptimality.... But in the end driving through a puddle safely should be within design specs for this car IMO. Coatings and materials are becoming affordable for this too- maybe it becomes an option?

As increased downpours happen more often even most urban environments may have their drainage systems overwhelmed. If you expect to have this car for 10 years you can expect to have to go through a series of record breaking rainfall levels in many areas of the us / world (go to EPA site for conservative data)

That picture was from the flood in Boulder last September. I had no interest in testing the Model S or Roadster ability to deal with rising water, and moved them to higher ground right after taking this picture, as my garage flooded.

Face it, the Model X is a Crossover SUV, or a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV). Calling the Model X a Minivan or Station Wagon is just not good marketing these days. Don't get your hopes up. I bet that there is a "not recommended for off-road use" statement in the Model X Owner's manual. I will keep my 2000 Jeep Cherokee with its 3" lift, oversize tires, air lockers, and ARB winch bumper for real off-road driving. That being said, I am looking forward to the Model X for its increased ground clearance and all wheel drive for winter assents of the 15% grade, tight turn up my Pagosa driveway!

A few quotes from Wiki - Crossover Utility Vehicle:

A crossover (or CUV: crossover utility vehicle) is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.

Crossovers are typically designed for only light off-road capability, if any at all.

Some sources indicate the term crossover began as a marketing term, and a 2008 CNNMoney article indicated that "many consumers cannot tell the difference between an SUV and a crossover." A January 2008 Wall Street Journal blog article called crossovers "wagons that look like sport utility vehicles, but ride like cars."

The current use of the term for this market segment spans a wide range of vehicles. In some cases, manufacturers have marketed vehicles as crossovers simply to avoid calling them station wagons, or have produced crossovers mainly because station wagons have fallen out of favor with buyers in a particular region such as the United States.​

 

[jerry33]

In 2012 winter there were a couple of Model S that had flood sensors that were too sensitive and stopped. This has long since been rectified in the firmware. I didn't hear of any last winter, so it's really a non-issue.

 

[Cottonwood]

Here is a real Electric Off-Road Vehicle. You can bet that the suspension of the Model X does not look like the picture below!

Read about it at Electric OSCar eO Off-road Rally Car Drive eO.

I don't understand the 51 kWh battery and 1,000 km of range claim, but they seem to have completed some races!

 

[theganjaguru]

View attachment 51521Face it, the Model X is a Crossover SUV, or a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV). [/I][/INDENT]

The Porsche Cayenne is also classified as a SUV... But that can handle off road and make it through deep standing water If that's Teslas Competition, are they really making the best when the x at current known configuration cannot? I'd rather buy the Porsche if this were the fact....

I am sure the Model S could do either of these drives. But just because those cars made it through the water doesn't mean they weren't damaged in some way. Or that driving through water isn't bad for them in some way either.

I am not sure why you seem to think the Model S fording ability is somehow unacceptable, or not adequate. More than 6" of water is a BIG DEAL for almost any car (obviously ground clearance on SUVs gives them an advantage). I've seen a BWM 3 series flood his engine/car in ~6-8" of water.

The MS "could"... However, officially it can't. So could doesn't matter. As Teslas own advice is not to drive the car through standing water. When something is sold as the "best" it shouldn't have weaknesses that make it underperform other competitors. Thus by that definition it cannot be the best if it fails to meet such criteria.

I am confused why you have issue with the fact that I have a more restrictive standards for what "the best" is defined as. I would rather vehicles are built to high standards. Low standards are what led to GM's negligence and subsequent homicide of a large number of their customers.

Again, I'm not referring to cars. The topic is off road capabilities of the Model X. I'm making the point that the Leaf and BMW i-series CAN make it through standing water. Officially the Model S officially cannot., thus the X may not be able to either. This is unacceptable when comparing an X to the Porsche Cayenne, not an i3... Given this fact the Porsche is more capable SUV for even "light"off roading

 

[Earlian]

You mixed the wrong pieces up.

The Model X will not be a pro-offroad-vehicle.

Now what is a good SUV? AWD, made to travel min.5 peoples and their luggage. Good winter driving abilities and also good for moderate terrain. But most of the time they are used on normal roads!

So will the Model X have perfect Off-Road-Performance? No, it wasn't promised!

Quote: "Model X is designed from the ground up to blend the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan, as only an electric car can."

Will it be the Perfect Crossover SUV? Yes

So, take it easy and don't challenge in the wrong category.

Greetings Earl

 

[huntjo]

The Porsche Cayenne is also classified as a SUV... But that can handle off road and make it through deep standing water If that's Teslas Competition, are they really making the best when the x at current known configuration cannot? I'd rather buy the Porsche if this were the fact....



The MS "could"... However, officially it can't. So could doesn't matter. As Teslas own advice is not to drive the car through standing water. When something is sold as the "best" it shouldn't have weaknesses that make it underperform other competitors. Thus by that definition it cannot be the best if it fails to meet such criteria.

I am confused why you have issue with the fact that I have a more restrictive standards for what "the best" is defined as. I would rather vehicles are built to high standards. Low standards are what led to GM's negligence and subsequent homicide of a large number of their customers.

Again, I'm not referring to cars. The topic is off road capabilities of the Model X. I'm making the point that the Leaf and BMW i-series CAN make it through standing water. Officially the Model S officially cannot., thus the X may not be able to either. This is unacceptable when comparing an X to the Porsche Cayenne, not an i3... Given this fact the Porsche is more capable SUV for even "light"off roading

Please go test drive a model x, and then get video of yourself test driving through water of a known depth. Repeat the video in the same water with all the other makes and models that you care to test. Then come back here and post your results. Clearly you are into video evidence, so I challenge you to provide us with some that is at least uniform and not based on comparison of an existing low riding performance sedan with cars that are designed to go offroad

 

[Chrisr400cc]

Here is a real Electric Off-Road Vehicle. You can bet that the suspension of the Model X does not look like the picture below!

View attachment 51587

View attachment 51588


Read about it at Electric OSCar eO Off-road Rally Car Drive eO.

I don't understand the 51 kWh battery and 1,000 km of range claim, but they seem to have completed some races!

Thanks for sharing Cottonwood. Cool car. I've never seen this off road vehicle before. After watching some YouTube clips of it race I kept noticing engine noise when it passed by he camera. I think it has a range extending gas engine like the Volt. It is still better then anything else out there, but it would be a real game changer if an off-road truck could win these races on pure electric.

 

[teldib]

Now that X's are flying out the door, anyone have any anecdotal evidence of the off-road prowess of the Model X?