The Tesla Model X keeps marching right along to its scheduled start date, so far (surprisingly) without any publicly-known setbacks or last-minute delays. As such, prototype sightings of the forthcoming electric SUV are becoming increasingly frequent, and two such videos have surfaced in as many days.
(A heartfelt thanks to our friends at Autoblog for sharing these clips.)
First, a Tesla Model X prototype was spotted in Chandler, Arizona, as you can see in the video just below. It’s being pulled on a flat-bed here, so that we don’t actually get to see it driving along on its own steam, but the far bigger story is that the crossover EV is caked in dried mud, suggesting some sort of offroad testing took place just prior to its sighting.
Of course, why shouldn’t the Tesla Model X be engaging in some assessment of offroad prowess? We know that the pure-electric SUV will have essentially the same all-wheel drive system as on the Tesla Model S “D,” standard towing capability, and most intriguing, the independent control of each of the two drive motors could function as a virtual locking central e-differential.
The very next day, still another video surfaced, showing the Tesla Model X driving the streets of Berkeley, California. What’s most interesting about this sighting is that the utility vehicle prototype is laden with some unidentified external sensors. Chances are, these sensors are simply tied to the Tesla Model X’s own implementation of the automaker’s “autopilot” semi-autonomous system, but Autoblog astutely points out that Tesla Motors fans have been surprised with unforeseen new features before.
As such, we invite your wildest, most inconceivable predictions.
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