Some Say Model X Could Kill Tesla

Tesla Model X (Credit: Tesla Motors)

There’s no debating that Tesla’s Model X is an incredibly advanced crossover, outclassing most if not all of its rivals. While it’s loaded with plenty of impressive technologies and innovations, and there are loads of news organizations out there heaping praise on it, some are wondering if the vehicle could actually sink Tesla Motors.

Even though there’s a whole line of irrational critics of Tesla, many who have their doubts about the Model X have been big supporters of the electric automaker since its early days. One prominent example is Aaron Robinson from Car and Driver. Another is Bob Lutz, who’s been a supporter of Elon Musk in the past but has been pretty critical of the company lately.

As Robinson and others observe, the Model X is incredibly complex, making it difficult and costly to build. The vehicle’s been delayed for two years, but so was the Model S. Still, all of these delays mean lost revenue for the company as consumers opt for luxury SUVs that are actually in stock. To Tesla fanboys everyone should be happy to wait any period of time for anything the company produces, but the average person simply doesn’t feel that way.

Already we’ve reported that some think an emissions problem has held up production of the Model X, adding to the crossover’s delays. Then there’s the issue of the doors. While the falcon-wing rear doors look impressive, they’re not cheap to make. Many feel that they’re an unnecessarily complex solution to an almost non-existent problem. The front doors open themselves, but that requires an array of expensive sensors that could suffer reliability issues, like the auto-extending handles on the Model S.

For most automakers, a large luxury crossover or SUV is a cash cow, thanks to huge profit margins that help make up for small gains made by selling more budget-friendly vehicles. With so many flashy features on the Model X, Tesla could be getting a firsthand lesson about why other automakers try to keep production vehicles, even expensive ones, a little more on the simple side.

As the Model X starts shipping to customers, either the crossover will be revealed as another brilliant move by Tesla or it could spell disaster for the company.