Tesla to launch Model X, says cars fully autonomous in 3 years

Tesla’s Model X is finally going to enter the market as CEO Elon Musk will officially launch the vehicle at an event near the automotive company’s factory in Fremont, California. The announcement is set for 11 PM ET and can be watched live on Tesla's website.

In 2012, the company announced that the Model X would be launched in 2013. But due to delayed production, it was supposed to begin delivery in April 2015.

According to ABCNews, the Model X is said to be able to seat seven people in three rows of seats, with the car having wing-like doors instead of opening from the sides. Although Tesla hasn’t revealed the final pricing of the car, but Musk’s tweets suggested that the Model X will be priced $5,000 higher than the Model S because it’s heavier and more complex. Moreover, the Signature models, a high-end Model X can cost $132,000 to $144,000.

According to the Tesla Motors Club blog, the company already has around 32,000 orders for the vehicle, each reservation requiring a $5,000 deposit, Los Angeles Times reported.

“As a luxury crossover, the Tesla Model X is in one of the fastest-growing segments of the North American market, so it is well-positioned to add volume for a manufacturer that needs additional volume and economies of scale,” said Jack Nerad, an analyst at auto price information company Kelley Blue Book.

In separate news, while speaking to Danish TV last week, Musk shared some interesting predictions, as reported by Techcrunch. He thinks that “within a year or two” the company could produce a car that can “break 1,000 kilometers” (or 620 miles) on a single charge, adding, “2017 for sure”. Moreover, he is now saying that Tesla cars should have “full autonomy” in “approximately three years.”

As for when regulators are ready to approve self-driving technologies, they “probably will not allow for full autonomy for one to three years after that,” said Musk. “It depends on the market. Some will be more forward-leaning than others.”