Reactions to Model X reveal event

[ecarfan]

I enjoyed the presentation, I thought the points Elon emphasized were important. Protecting vehicle occupants, in multiple ways, shows a great deal of empathy. I literally laughed out loud over the "Bioweapon defense" feature, not sarcastically but because it was genuinely funny and also impressive. The size of that HEPA filter is incredible. I don't see how they fit it in the vehicle! Perhaps that is in part why the frunk is not very deep, front to back.
Other thoughts:
I am certain the Falcon Wing door Windows go down, but so far in trying to catch up with TMC posts have seen nothing about anyone trying to operate them.
I hope Tesla offers the X with a 70kWh battery. That could reduce the base price by $10K.
The windshield tint appears to be fixed, not controllable electrochromatically as some speculated.
I haven't seen anything posted or documented that the headlights are now LED, as some speculated, but that is not important, to me.
The powers front doors are pretty cool. I assume they also have their own "through metal" ultrasonic sensors so they don't hit anything.
I like the new nose.
Overall an extremely impressive vehicle, and it looks great! I believe it will outsell the S in 2016, at least in North America. It raises the bar for SUVs. Really want to see an X in my local Tesla showroom soon.

 

[Lucidor]

Tesla vs. Apple etc

Between a polished and well rehearsed presentation of the (re)invention of the watch, and a geeky, improvised, and somewhat unprofessional presentation of a serious contribution to sustainable transportation, I know what I would choose. I buy into the vision and the passion that went into the product, and perhaps it makes me have oversight with the execution. However I'd like to believe that it does not necessarily make me into a fanboy.

 

[RichardL]

I saw the rear window open on one of the 'ride along' vehicles, so they do open - also I don't see any reason they couldn't

 

[ecarfan]

Agreed, nicely expressed. Elon's vision for a sustainable transportation future is what matters, and the X is another step towards that goal!

Between a polished and well rehearsed presentation of the (re)invention of the watch, and a geeky, improvised, and somewhat unprofessional presentation of a serious contribution to sustainable transportation, I know what I would choose. I buy into the vision and the passion that went into the product, and perhaps it makes me have oversight with the execution. However I'd like to believe that it does not necessarily make me into a fanboy.

 

[tmoz]

Is the car really targeted at soccer moms? How many soccer moms can afford the car and once bought, who would drive home 3 or 4 sweaty kids covered in dirt in that car?

 

[brucet999]

My understanding from the presentation is that the ultransonic sensors in the Falcon Wings are a new design that can operate through the metal door surface. This was done so there would not be multiple small circles of a different, plastic, material. For aesthetic reasons. I think that is pretty cool.
I think the ultrasonic sensors on the bumpers are the same as the S so there are little circles where the are located, lime on all other cars that have them as far as I know.

It is worth noting too, that falcon wing sensors do not have to work at long range as bumper sensors do, so despite signal attenuation through the metal they can work to avoid very nearby obstacles while guiding a slow moving falcon wing door.

- - - Updated - - -

I laughed out loud when the family with the trailer got out and their boys were wearing plaid shirts!

 

[ankitmishra]

I totally agree, Elon is a dork, the whole world is watching and you come 50 minutes late without an excuse on one of the most important presentations of the year! What kind of impression do you give to the world of you and your company? I know Elon is not a great talker and he should know that from himself too. The speech he gave was below par, even for him. Surely he could have rehearsed the presentation? Maybe it would be better that he would do a short intro and let another person do the bulk of the presentation.
The items he pointed out on the car are great, but he could have given more information if he were not to go on and on about the great air filters. The air filters could do with one bullet point.

On the car itself, we just were shown a few tidbits. Why not give a more comprehensive presentation including the interior of the car and who what all the new features benefit you as a customer! Why not have made a short promotional film?

The car might be great, I just don't know yet. The presentation was amaturistic.

Its unfortunate that you are using the word "dork" to address the man who is single handily trying to change the direction of mankind and the reason you are doing so is because he was late for the event.
Maybe the reason for our strong disagreement on this issue is because of our priorities. You want to hear a presentation, I want to hear the man who made the vehicle possible. Its your right to have your opinion on how a presentation should be handled. I just hope we wont take personal shots at Elon just because he is doing something in a way we don't like.

 

[omarsultan]

He didn't mention any kind of protectant against the sun on the new windshield. You'd think he would have brought attention to it. I'm hoping front seat occupants won't be subject to the sun's radiation! Can't imagine how he would think a tricksy adjustable windshield cover wouldn't be worth mentioning. Honestly I could not choose a vehicle with regular glass above me that has no protection against the sun.
Update: Press Release Says: "The windshield's solar tint transition completes the modern and open feel."

Asked about this on my test ride - the Tesla rep said there was a 3-layer gradient tint built into the windshield which topped out at 2% transmittance for the overhead portion.

 

[ArtInCT]

After waiting ... and waiting... thinking how the static video shot should have been used to display some nice stock stills or action shots of the car... and thus getting bored at 11:45PM EDST... I felt the presentation, when it started was rather "dark" due to poor illumination.... and also rather awkward in its starting few moments... Ok... my reaction was one of horror when the topic of air filtration ensued as I was looking for a lot more talk about the car vs. this important sub feature...

Never saw any video and camera shots on the dash, interior or the finer interior points of the model X. Really wanted a close up of the headlamps (off) and the new front and fog lamps. No good closeup of the attachment point of the bike rack or the rack itself. No mention of what appears to be a rear spoiler. No interior shots of the new larger windshield. Not too much close up visual data for me to digest. I feel cheated in that regard.... Suggestion.... hire some of the camera-folks from Barrett-Jackson who do the live auto auction for the next reveal. These guys know how to capture the car and its lines. The single camera production utilized last evening... well ... it seemed rather amateurish.

Just my take... I am sure the effect was different for those that were present.

 

[Bunky]

I think they nailed the product but it wasn't the smoothest launch event. Watching the video again and the car just appears on stage, mid-sentence, while Elon is talking about safety.

Obviously the former is way more important and the car looks amazing, but I wish they would put more effort into preparing for these events. I get that presenting is maybe not one of Elon's strengths but it could have easily been a lot less awkward with just a little more planning.

 

[ankitmishra]

+1 Couldn't agree more. What scares me is that the same people that created the event last night, also have a hand in designing a very sophisticated piece of machinery. It was an embarrassment and will be the last Tesla event I attend. My reservation is in the 16,000 range, and I'm betting I won't be configuring until 2017.

Those same people designed the car that you own as of now. And that car is winning accolades all over the world. They like to focus there energy on making good cars instead of organizing events to push mediocre products by talking like other companies do.

 

[omarsultan]

Did anyone notice that the ultrasonic sensors are now invisible and work through sheet metal? The bumpers are so much cleaner now.

The white car on stage looked like it had not sensors, but was hard to tell--all the test ride cars had visible sensors on the bumpers in the usual spots. Elon only mentioned the through-metal sensors being used for the doors.

 

[timber107]

I love all these digs over the very smallest of things.

The event wasn't professional
It started late
Elon is not the best presenter (duh)
The one guy left the car door open and Elon had to close it
Elon did not start the presentation by apologizing for it being late

Really?????
I'll take function over form any day. I prefer real people that speak from their mind/heart and not a carefully crafted script. Super polished events keep the event planners gainfully employed but does it really add much, if anything, to the meat and potatoes of what is going on?

...and he bumped his head...

 

[omarsultan]

Is he a bad presenter though?

I may be in the minority here, but I've never found any of Elon's presentations to be "bad". Sure, he stutters and fumbles a bit, but he always gets the point across. It's just the way he is. I will be the first to say that Tesla (the company) has lots of problems with customer communications. However, Elon's style of speaking IMO is not one of these problems.

I am with you - I like his earnestness and his presentation foibles reinforce that - much prefer this to a slick talking head.

 

[Neo_fd3s]

Yes, the show started later than expected, but I think it was worth the wait.
By no means am I in the market for an SUV, but everyone around me does. Don't be surprised if you start to see these X's all around T.O. Hell, people have been picking up BMW X6's for awhile now. We can all agree that's a horrendous looking vehicle. Between it and the Model X, I would gladly take the model X.
I think Tesla has another hit on their hands. It's the model alot of the people in the GTA have been waiting to see and I have no doubt a ton of them will start to appear on our roads very soon.

Personally I'm waiting to see what the Model 3 is going to turn out to be. Probably by then I'll be needing to get into a new car. But I should be good for another 5-7yrs.

I was extremely impressed with the Model S. If I was in the market for such a versatile vehicle, the S would be the only one I would want to get. Alas, it's way too much car for my means.

Future looks very bright.

 

[Kalllagtunet]

I was more impressed that Bonnie took a private jet there than the event it's self.

We all have our own way of contributing to save the planet....

 

[aznt1217]

I am not interested in forum arguments as it is a waste of time and bandwidth.

I do wanna use this as an example of fanatical response that I see on Tesla related discussions. Having a strong enthusiastic following is critical to the success of Tesla, but it is also a double edged sword that can drive people new to the brand away from the brand.

Tesla should not act like GM/VW, but sure can learn a thing or two from Ritz Carlton perhaps.

It's not even an argument, it's taking your point of reference about "acting" like a bigger company. The reference doesn't work-- to stay on topic, you didn't like the fashion in which the Model X reveal event went for reasons of tardiness and "unpolished" presentation. You can have your reservations about the event starting late and poor public presentation skills. I'm far from a fanatic, but the logic presented is flawed. Company size isn't directly correlated with good communication. If I was saying things like Elon Musk is perfect, yes that would be a fanatical response but please feel free to look back at my posts and you'll see that is not what I think.

Yes the event was late and I stayed up to watch it, but like past events it's not necessarily the fault of the company's. Senior management was talking to the press prior to this. Would you prefer that they cut the press off? Perhaps he needed a break? Perhaps they were rehearsing last minute.

To everyone criticizing Elon's public presentation skills. The number one fear of people is public speaking. That's not even the problem, the problem he has is on the spot critical thinking and dumbing down certain things that "geeks" would love but not commoners. The second he starts talking about ultrasonic sensors and air filters, it's probably too much for the common population to care. Bill Gates was pretty awkward presenter too and so are a lot of other business moguls. Instead of having him go to coaching which would be completely and utterly pointless be happy with the fact that he can speak off the cuff with authority and facts.

 

[Twiddler]

Sure is a lot of self-important people on this forum, sad. I watched the live steam assuming it would start late. Big deal, I did other things to occupy my time. I also knew I could get up in the morning and watch it but I wanted to see it live. I'm sure they don't intend to start late but there are many moving parts to these thing and sh*t happens. I've organized and promoted some fairly size able sporting events, it's a nightmare.

Elon is who he is, I can relate because I have a similar personality. I give him credit for getting up there and doing something that he clearly isn't comfortable doing and fighting his way through it. I find myself rooting for him to do good, not sitting there criticizing him on how he didn't acknowledge me personally. Does he not know who I am? Better Recognize!

I would think in a forum with what I assume to be above average intelligence and net worth people that there would be a deeper understanding of what Tesla has and is trying to accomplish and give them a break. I'll know exactly what people are talking about when they refer to Tesla owners as a bunch of a**holes.

For those that just can't stop complaining about anything and everything, why are you still here? I don't go over to ICE forums and complain all day because I have no interest in the garbage they are selling that is destroying our planet. Feel free to go buy your big ICE SUV that is perfect from bumper to bumper with beautifully orchestrated marketing, I won't miss ya!

Wow. If I may complain about you complaining about people complaining... I enjoy the two-sided debate that occurs in these forums and do NOT wish to stifle them. These concerns regarding tardiness, consistently missed self-imposed deadlines, over-promising, etc, do have some validity. These are growing pains that Tesla should address more aggressively. I am a huge fan of Elon personally and the company, and an early investor. That said, they could do better with marketing and deadlines AND still be the wonderful innovators that they are. Tesla is, lets face it, in the customer service industry. Perhaps the complaints seem self-important (some certainly more than others), but I would also consider attempting to stifle criticism for your own reading pleasure a little self-important was well.

 

[aznt1217]

Sure is a lot of self-important people on this forum, sad. I watched the live steam assuming it would start late. Big deal, I did other things to occupy my time. I also knew I could get up in the morning and watch it but I wanted to see it live. I'm sure they don't intend to start late but there are many moving parts to these thing and sh*t happens. I've organized and promoted some fairly size able sporting events, it's a nightmare.

Elon is who he is, I can relate because I have a similar personality. I give him credit for getting up there and doing something that he clearly isn't comfortable doing and fighting his way through it. I find myself rooting for him to do good, not sitting there criticizing him on how he didn't acknowledge me personally. Does he not know who I am? Better Recognize!

I would think in a forum with what I assume to be above average intelligence and net worth people that there would be a deeper understanding of what Tesla has and is trying to accomplish and give them a break. I'll know exactly what people are talking about when they refer to Tesla owners as a bunch of a**holes.

For those that just can't stop complaining about anything and everything, why are you still here? I don't go over to ICE forums and complain all day because I have no interest in the garbage they are selling that is destroying our planet. Feel free to go buy your big ICE SUV that is perfect from bumper to bumper with beautifully orchestrated marketing, I won't miss ya!

I second this so many times.

 

[X-Wing]

Sure is a lot of self-important people on this forum, sad. I watched the live steam assuming it would start late. Big deal, I did other things to occupy my time. I also knew I could get up in the morning and watch it but I wanted to see it live. I'm sure they don't intend to start late but there are many moving parts to these thing and sh*t happens. I've organized and promoted some fairly size able sporting events, it's a nightmare. Elon is who he is, I can relate because I have a similar personality. I give him credit for getting up there and doing something that he clearly isn't comfortable doing and fighting his way through it. I find myself rooting for him to do good, not sitting there criticizing him on how he didn't acknowledge me personally. Does he not know who I am? Better Recognize! I would think in a forum with what I assume to be above average intelligence and net worth people that there would be a deeper understanding of what Tesla has and is trying to accomplish and give them a break. I'll know exactly what people are talking about when they refer to Tesla owners as a bunch of a**holes. For those that just can't stop complaining about anything and everything, why are you still here? I don't go over to ICE forums and complain all day because I have no interest in the garbage they are selling that is destroying our planet. Feel free to go buy your big ICE SUV that is perfect from bumper to bumper with beautifully orchestrated marketing, I won't miss ya!

Because simply delivery a quality product is not enough. Good customer service is essential to the long term survival of the company. I want Tesla to do well, so that as a customer I will feel comfortable knowing that the company will have resources available to take care of me when there is a problem. So, that years down the road there will be enough support and interest in my vehicle for maintenance and resale. I am surprised that as a investor you don't want them to improve on areas where weakness has be identified.