The Tesla Model X Viewed from European Eyes

Tesla model X 2 motor set-up

There is a popular game among greenies in Europe: bashing SUV drivers. Those people who live in the city, who most often drive alone, who never venture off-road, but insist on driving big SUVs, the bigger the better. When most people drive Fiesta or Focus-sized automobiles, SUVs drivers get noticed in a bad way. SUVs take more space on the road, SUVs have high carbon dioxide emissions. Everything is bad in a SUV. Well, that was until last week, when Tesla Motors unveiled its Model X, a large 7-seater zero-emission SUV with falcon doors. They've gone from one extreme to the other, from the very small Roadster to the roomy SUV, but the big question looming over our heads is: Should we stop bashing SUV drivers?

Maybe not, because whatever energy used, a large SUV will always remain less efficient than a sleek sedan. Tesla Motors hasn't released a spec sheet yet, so we don't know the exact figures, but we can make comparisons with some gasoline models. Many manufacturers sell sedans and SUVs with the same engine, with the EPA giving a 10 to 15 percent penalty in fuel economy to the SUV. It'll be interesting to compare the electricity consumption of the Model S with the Model X, since they will share motors and batteries. The sheer size of the Model X then, won't make it popular. Its height with the rear doors opened—or raised, as the case may be—might prove too much for the average European garage, and many will ask about the usefulness of seven seats. How often do you carry six passengers? Maybe the third row will be an option as in many SUVs. It would be more appropriate for the European markets where large economically disadvantaged families can't afford a car.

Tesla model X architectures

But the Tesla model X has at least one feature that gets everyone salivating: the option of a front motor to make it four-wheel drive. Because it would bring better dynamics, and also more efficiency. The two-motors set-up is the strongest point of all Protoscar models like the Lampo 3, and both the upcoming Audi R8 e-tron and Mercedes SLS E-Cell electric supercars will have more than one motor. The best wheels for regenerating energy have always been the front ones, and front brakes are not larger than rear brakes by chance.

Having four-wheel drive should also help the vehicle dynamics versus the standard RWD model, though it's hard to imagine how an electric propulsion could be superior to an ICE. Car manufacturers and their suppliers have had years to perfect their electronic traction systems, coordinating them with acceleration skid control. There is now so much knowledge about fine tuning those systems, that even with an electric motor allowing more precise control of the power sent to the transmission, it would hardly make a difference on the power sent to the wheels. Or each individual wheel actually. Electronic controls could also give the driver the ability to choose the car's behavior, as many high performance German sedans already offer, but those systems are notoriously lengthy to set up. You would also wonder who Tesla will partner with to develop all this technology. Lotus? Bosch?

Tesla model X falcon doors half opened

The best thing is that we should also expect this front motor/4WD option to be available on the Model S, which shares its platform with the Model X, and that would make that car even more interesting. But also more expensive. Lexus asks $1,600 more for the AWD option on its RX hybrid, so we'll see how much Tesla will ask, and how long it will take to fine tune the system. Pity that they don't focus on that—rather than spend time and money developing falcon doors, a solution is search of a problem that nobody has. We have less money in Europe, so our manufacturers can't afford unnecessary and unrequested features.