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Tesla Debuts Model X Crossover in Detroit

On Monday, Tesla Motors unveiled a preproduction prototype of the 2014 Tesla Model X, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Model X is an all electric luxury SUV designed by Tesla Motors, built on the same underlying chassis as the Tesla Model S, and is expected to go into production some time in 2014.

The reveal occurred on the show floor ahead of Tesla's official press conference, on Tuesday, at the NAIAS. Presumably more details will be announced shortly. Photos provided over the weekend by the Tesla press office go over design details, that we should interpret as a work in progress indicating the likely direction Tesla's staff will take for the final design. For our earlier coverage of the Model X, see Tesla reveals the Model X, an all-electric SUV that's faster than a Porsche 911.

The most unusual feature of the Tesla Model X, the so-called "Falcon Wing" doors, will be retained. Essentially these are "gull wing" doors, in that the doors end up positioned above the roofline, but Tesla's implementation is different enough to warrant a new name. Hence, Falcon Wing. The difference between the typical gull wing doors, and Tesla's falcon wing doors, is that in Tesla's implementation the door is double hinged and opens upward rather than swinging outward. This means the Model X doors can be opened in a tight parking space without banging into the neighboring cars.

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