Re:How Tesla Will Change the World (2015)
by semi-extrinsic on Sunday July 30, 2017 @07:14PM
(#14888386)
> Musk's plan is to build sportscars and eventually transition into more 'family' cars.
The thing bugging me about this frequently repeated statement is that they could've easily made a taller Model S Estate version (just change the suspension a bit), put some plastic skirts and terrain looks on it - a squarely 'family' car, like a Subaru Outback or an Audi Allroad - several years ago, and it would've sold like hotcakes.
Instead they did the Model X "SUV", which is a slightly enlarged Toyota Prius in terms of size, and which is on track to see maybe 20k cars sold in 2017 - hardly a resounding success when just the Nissan Rogue "SUV" in the same segment is on track to see 200k sold in 2017.
* I say "SUV" about these cars because a proper SUV is something with a low-range gearbox, 4wd with mechanically locking diffs all around, trunk big enough for bringing a couple of Alaskan Malamutes along, and where you can buy a snorkel for the air intake for wading across rivers. When Mercedes called the GLC an SUV everyone laughed, but the nearly identical Model X gets a free pass.
The thing bugging me about this frequently repeated statement is that they could've easily made a taller Model S Estate version (just change the suspension a bit), put some plastic skirts and terrain looks on it - a squarely 'family' car, like a Subaru Outback or an Audi Allroad - several years ago, and it would've sold like hotcakes.
Instead they did the Model X "SUV", which is a slightly enlarged Toyota Prius in terms of size, and which is on track to see maybe 20k cars sold in 2017 - hardly a resounding success when just the Nissan Rogue "SUV" in the same segment is on track to see 200k sold in 2017.
* I say "SUV" about these cars because a proper SUV is something with a low-range gearbox, 4wd with mechanically locking diffs all around, trunk big enough for bringing a couple of Alaskan Malamutes along, and where you can buy a snorkel for the air intake for wading across rivers. When Mercedes called the GLC an SUV everyone laughed, but the nearly identical Model X gets a free pass.