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2012 Toyota RAV4 EV [w/video]

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Toyota, First Drives, Tesla, Electric

Tesla-Hearted Toyota Offers Real Sport And Utility

The 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is the most advanced Alpha prototype electric vehicle we've ever driven. Or maybe it's a poster child for the 21st Century automotive industry where all sorts of new things are being tried, like when old-school automakers and ambitious start-ups find common purpose in rushing an all-electric crossover to market in two years. Or maybe it's the end result of a decade-long process of getting the Japanese automaker to bring back its popular - by EV standards, anyway - first-gen RAV4 EV for the new era of electric cars? It is, of course, all of these things, and that's what makes the RAV4 EV such an interesting vehicle: It not only offers surprisingly good performance on the road, it can also tell you some compelling stories as you jump from 0-60 in seven seconds. In a CUV. With an easy-to-achieve 100-mile range.

Most compelling, perhaps, is that the RAV4 EV is a real electric crossover with a real on-sale date. Namely, $49,800 (before any tax credits) and late summer 2012. Of course, the problem, aside from the hefty price, is that this CUV will only be available - initially, anyway - in four major California markets: Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego and Los Angeles/Orange County. Since the RAV4 EV will go on sale in The OC (don't call it that), it made sense that Toyota brought journalists to Newport Beach for some time behind the wheel. If you're not interested in the technical details or the three story lines we saw represented, here's all you need to know. When we first put the RAV4 EV into Sport driving mode, our honest reaction was to say out loud: "Holy crap!"

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2012 Toyota RAV4 EV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla takes 500 Model X reservations worth $40M, Model S sales also spike

Autoblog Staff — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Tesla, Electric

If the prevailing opinion of a new design can be judged by initial sales, then the jury is in on the Tesla Model X. They like it. They really, really like it. From the time the electric crossover was driven out on stage at Tesla Design Studios late Thursday night/early Friday morning until Valentine's Day four days later, the company says it has received over $40 million worth of reservation love.

What that means is that over 500 people have plunked down a significant amount of cash - $5,000 for regular production version or $40,000 for a Signature package - to reserve a vehicle that won't even begin serious production until 2014. Think about that for a moment. Nobody, except a lucky few employees, has even driven the X prototype. Hell, barely anyone has ever taken the wheel of the Model S, with which it shares its platform.

While some of the orders did come from people switching their Model S reservation to the X, Tesla says sedan sales weren't cannibalized. In fact, the company says, sales of the S saw a boost of 30 percent following the big event.

Another indication of sentiment for publicly traded companies like Tesla Motors (TSLA) is its stock price. If you panicked and sold off shares a month ago when the price plunged 20 percent on news of the departure of a couple personnel, you may want to begin kicking yourself now. (Go ahead, we'll wait.) From that $22.79 low, it has climbed to $33.17 (as of this writing). Now, we're not financial experts, but that would seem to indicate that the market likes the company's outlook.

Make your way past the break to read the press release and, if you were unable to see the live presentation of the Model X on Tesla's website, we have that official footage waiting there as well.

Continue reading Tesla takes 500 Model X reservations worth $40M, Model S sales also spike

Tesla takes 500 Model X reservations worth $40M, Model S sales also spike originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:21:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Tesla, Electric

The all-electric Tesla Model X crossover was unveiled at a red-carpet, velvet-rope style event at the Tesla Design Studios in Hawthorne, CA tonight, with company co-founder Elon Musk confirming that the Model X will start production late next year and that full production is expected in 2013.

With luminaries such as California Gov. Jerry Brown in attendance and a post-announcement concert by Foster the People, Musk presented a CUV that, as rumored, has so-called "falcon-wing" doors that are similar to those of the old gull-wing vehicles but bend in the middle, allowing them to be opened in tight spaces while offering better access to the rear and third row of seats. Musk said the Model X, which is expected to be priced similar to the $57,500 Model S sedan set to debut this summer, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than a Porsche 911. The vehicle, which Musk says can seat "seven real adults," actually has front and rear electric motors that instantaneously shift power from one to the other to maximize traction, Musk said. He added that the CUV's turning radius was comparable to that of a Mini Cooper.

Musk, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,000 people, touted the Model X as having, "more room than a minivan, more style than an SUV and more performance than a sports car." Indeed, with no internal combustion engine, the vehicle has substantial rear cargo space behind the third row of seats as well as a "frunk" in front of the car (which provided the evening's only glitch with a sticky latch. See video of that after the jump). Musk said that the "frunk" has the same storage space as the rear cargo area of an Audi Q7. Musk should know, since he owns one.

Musk also said Telsa will start deliveries of the Model S sedan - upon which the X is based - "no later than July" and will start taking online reservations for the Model X at noon Pacific time Friday. Tesla is expected to produce between 10,000 and 15,000 Model X units a year starting in 2014.

Continue reading More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch

More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model X revealed

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:33:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Tesla, Electric

Here it is, the Tesla Model X, the CUV prototype version of the Model S.

We'll have more details live from California soon, but here's what we know at the moment. The Model X can hit 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, will cost around the same as the Model S, and it has those cool "falcon" gullwing-like doors.

With the batteries housed in the same low skateboard as the S, the X has a lot of space. Since the CUV doesn't need a combustion engine, there are actually two trunks: one in front and one in the back. This means, Elon Musk said at the unveiling today, that the Model X can fit seven people and their luggage. The X will also feature all-wheel drive and come with a range of battery options, but we knew this already. The X is heavier than the S and will therefore offer around 10 percent less range from the same ~~40-~~, 60- and 85-kWh battery packs that the S uses. It's price will begin around $50k after tax credits, but will rise close to $90k with the largest battery pack and all the trimmings ordered. *UPDATE: There is no 40-kWh pack option.

Tesla will start taking reservations at noon PST February 10th (i.e., later today). Oh, and Tesla is going to offer a fourth model, to be revealed in around two years. More to come.

Tesla Model X revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model X to have ... "falcon" doors?

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Tesla, Electric

If you've been following the story of the soon-to-be-revealed Tesla Model X, you're likely aware that the all-electric crossover is said to be quicker than a Porsche 911, offer more interior space than an Audi Q7 and come with all-wheel drive (at least as an option). Also, if the teaser image is any indication, it should be pretty svelte.

What you might not know is that the feature likely to garner the most initial attention are its unique doors. Specifically, "falcon" doors. While we suspect front passengers will gain entrance to the vehicle in the traditional way, the rear portals will be decidedly different. CEO Elon Musk intimated as much when he recently tweeted, "The most interesting view of the Model X is really with the doors open."

So, what are falcon doors? Having seen photos of the Model X, Theo O'Neill of Wunderlich Securities explains that they "lift up and fold - like the wing of a bird," pivoting from the top. Apparently, this will help the Model X achieve its "functionality of a minivan" mandate, allowing easy access to attend to child car seats and such.

Though we can really only begin to decide whether this configuration is a stroke of genius or too clever by half after the official reveal on February 9 at 8:00PM, we suspect some of you might already be forming opinions. Feel free to share with the rest of the class in the comments.

Tesla Model X to have ... "falcon" doors? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model X crossover teased, full reveal to be live on Internet

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Tesla, Electric

Perhaps the biggest reveal of 2012 for fans of luxury performance all-electric vehicles (or, perhaps, anyone automotively inclined with a pulse) is set for the 9th of February when Tesla Motors pulls the shroud from its Model X crossover at its new Los Angeles design studio. And now, we have been given a strong hint of what to expect.

The upstart California startup has just sent out a new version of its invitation to customers, and included on the summons is a partially silhouetted image of something seemingly very sleek and very sexy. Indeed, it must be the Model X. While there is some of the same design language used in the Model S sedan, the teaser suggests a vehicle with a shorter hood, a taller roof and less-pronounced creases in its sheet metal.

We'll have a presence at the event, but you can witness the unveiling in real time from the comfort of your own home. CEO Elon Musk has tweeted that the reveal will be shown live on the Tesla Motors website at 8:00 PM (we presume that's Pacific Standard Time). He also adds, "Most cars are pretty blah. This is not."

After seeing the image above and adding the "Quicker than a Porsche 911 and roomier than an Audi Q7" statement we've heard previously to the equation, we're going to give him the benefit of the doubt. For now.

Tesla Model X crossover teased, full reveal to be live on Internet originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model X will be very quick, very roomy and revealed Feb 9

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Tesla, Electric

Back in October, AutoblogGreen reported that the all-electric crossover from Tesla, the Model X, would be revealed ahead of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show? Well, scratch that. That information was, apparently, inaccurate. Dubitable. Counterfactual even. Instead, it seems that February 9 marks the day the X is to be spotted.

The news comes courtesy of the enthusiasts over at the Tesla Motor Club forum. A member read in a recent copy of Barclays Capital research report that the Tesla's design studio in LA would be the setting for the Model X reveal. AutoblogGreen contacted Tesla to confirm, and was told that, "Yes, there will be a February 9th Model X event."

The upcoming reveal won't have been its first, however. The vehicle was shown to some institutional investor types just before Christmas and, going by a handful of tweets that went out across the internetz shortly thereafter, they were impressed. Quicker than a Porsche 911 and roomier than an Audi Q7, they say. Throw in all-wheel drive and this could get pretty interesting.

Tesla Model X will be very quick, very roomy and revealed Feb 9 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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