Reactions to the Model X

[mt2]

The bit about snow I can understand. I'm sure rain just runs off through rain gutters, same as opening the trunk/hatchback.

Imagine sitting in the second row seat and closing the door in the rain. As the door closes, your knees and your back will get soaked. And you have no ability to close the door any faster.

[nk126]

How many of you have tried to sit in the 3rd row in a regular minivan?
It is usually difficult to get in and out of and you force the mid-size children to go back there. If you need to seat more than 5 people, this is a huge step forward. You sacrifice roof racks, but I personally have dealt with the annoying 3rd row many many times, but have only once or twice dealt with a roof rack. For my bicycles I greatly prefer a hitch mounted bike rack. I don't care about the roof rack.

I am eager to see one in person.

Getting in and out of the third row in the prototype last night was nearly impossible for me, a 5'11" male, due to lack of room between the front of the rear seats and the back of the second row.. BUT, the second row of the prototype was not sliding fore/aft, and I was told that it will in production models. This could help quite a bit.

[augkuo]

so how would a kayak/ski/bike rack work on the X? Don't open the rear doors?

[Fr23shjive]

so how would a kayak/ski/bike rack work on the X? Don't open the rear doors?

Elon tweeted that they have a solution for ski storage with the falcon doors.

[Krandon]

I feel like the Model X design makes some major strides forward in the automotive industry, but Tesla still didn't sell it to me.
They definitely should have focused more on the control and responsiveness of the dual motor AWD system. This is a serious performance upgrade, offering world-class acceleration and a better turning radius in a big vehicle. (the video mentioned it being tighter than a mini cooper, but the 12,500lb Mitsubishi-FUSO FE125 boasts the same thing). Hopefully some promising stats will surface once Alpha builds hit the road.
Also, the way Tesla managed to replace traditional side mirrors with non-intrusive video feeds is amazing. I know that it's pending regulatory approval, but the drag reduction, ease of visual cross-check, and possibility of traffic alert/recognition that this system provides is really the sort of next-generation feature that people expect in an EV. "Man--my car's so old it still has side mirrors" is the kind of comment drivers could be making a decade from now. I like that ModelX went there and brought it on a non-concept car (see: Ford Vertrek)
As far as the unveiling presentation goes, the soccer-mom focus on how easy it is to get in/out of and the storage space was way overdone IMO. It caters to geriatrics and parents of infants. I haven't seen any market studies, but I imagine that relatively few people will select a ModelX (~$100k fully loaded) over an Audi Q7 ($60k fully loaded) because it's easier to unbuckle the kids. Elon does have five boys and disposable wealth, so I can't fault him for catering to his needs.
The falcon wing/doors don't work for me either. Despite the "many iterations" it's still an inelegant solution. Seems like way too much engineering just to be able to say "It's not a minivan." At best, modify it to full length (thanks PV4EV) or offer standard doors as an option for more SUV-minded folks. My biggest gripe with the falcon wing doors is the wide arc it cuts once it reaches waist height. Did anyone else notice how it almost clipped the ModelS in the demo video? Click this link and jump to about 6:30 and you'll see what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbDdJGpNJpQ Looks way worse than the click & drag demo at http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx
All I can come up with for now. Jury's still out, but I'll be looking forward to new updates.

[ckessel]

Imagine sitting in the second row seat and closing the door in the rain. As the door closes, your knees and your back will get soaked. And you have no ability to close the door any faster.

I have absolutely no idea how you get that impression. The door completely covers the area like an umbrella. I seriously doubt the designers are that stupid. The bay area Tesla is in isn't exactly a dry climate. They're familiar with rain.

[ElSupreme]

My biggest gripe with the falcon wing doors is the wide arc it cuts once it reaches waist height. Did anyone else notice how it almost clipped the ModelS in the demo video? Click this link and jump to about 6:30 and you'll see what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbDdJGpNJpQ Looks way worse than the click & drag demo at http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx
All I can come up with for now. Jury's still out, but I'll be looking forward to new updates.

You realized that those two cars were 'close parked' where you probably wouldn't be able to get out or in of either car with traditional doors. As an avid 'close parker' You really have to be ~18" away from the other auto to squirm out of a traditional door.

[NigelM]

You realized that those two cars were 'close parked' where you probably wouldn't be able to get out or in of either car with traditional doors. As an avid 'close parker' You really have to be ~18" away from the other auto to squirm out of a traditional door.

But sometimes the driver wants to get out the car....

[vfx]

I asked one of the designers up on stage what the range would be and he said just slightly less than the Model S, maybe 5% or so due to the increased weight of the larger body.

That's about what JB said. Heavier weight but range augmented by having two regen systems.

[vfx]

Getting in and out of the third row in the prototype last night was nearly impossible for me, a 5'11" male, due to lack of room between the front of the rear seats and the back of the second row.. BUT, the second row of the prototype was not sliding fore/aft, and I was told that it will in production models. This could help quite a bit.

Also did the 3rd row. 5"11" and equally wide . Was a little clumsy but no different than some normal 2nd row backseats. And the 2nd row was motorized (passenger side) and they moved it forward for me. It was sloww so maybe why they did it sparingly.