Tesla Model X gets a New, Cheaper Base Model

2016 Tesla Model X

Like most Tesla models, the Model X has had a slow rollout that began with its range-topping Signature model and will slowly trickle down the lineup. Recently, Tesla announced an all-new base trim level that drops the entry fee into the Model X even further.

The new base model is dubbed the Model X 60D, and as its name implies, it will feature a 60 kWh battery pack. With this new, lower-capacity battery comes a reduced EPA-estimated range of 200 miles—37 miles less than the 75D model. Performance, on the other hand, is unchanged when compared to the 75D, as the 60D sprints to 60 mph in just six seconds and tops out at 130 mph.

With its lower battery capacity also comes a lower price point, as the Model X 60D starts from $74,000, which makes it $11,500 cheaper than the 75D. From Tesla’s website, it appears as if the 60D model is otherwise identical to the 75D. With this in mind, I cannot help but wonder who would pay an extra $11,500 to drive an extra 37 miles on a charge?

Tesla expects to have the Model X 60D in showrooms around the same time the other models—75D, 90D, and P90D—arrive, which is currently penciled in for late September 2016. I will go out on a limb and suggest that the 60D will be the volume seller, resulting in the 75D dying off at some point in the near future—assuming the range and the price are the only differences between the two.

Stay tuned for updates.