Just three months after introducing a more affordable, lower-range 60D version of the Model X crossover, Tesla has discontinued it.
The change effectively raises the base price of the Model X by $11,500?to a total of $86,700, including destination, the new base price of the 75D. For that, buyers get the air-spring suspension, formerly a $2500 option, as standard equipment.
A Tesla spokesperson confirmed the base model?s demise and said that it is part of a move to better serve ?the needs and desires of customers looking for a longer-range all-electric SUV.? The automaker didn?t disclose further reasons for the model-line edit, although many potential customers considering the bigger, heavier Model X?pitched for its potential for weekend warriors and towing?may have deemed its EPA-rated 200-mile driving range (and somewhat lower real-world range) to be inadequate. Tesla owners, on the popular Tesla Motors Club online forum, recently reported leasing discounts on the 60D. The decision to nix the more affordable base model could also potentially involve the complexity and manufacturing issues that have plagued the Model X?s standout Falcon Wing rear-door arrangement, or, perhaps, an image blow from the much more affordable Chevrolet Bolt EV with its 238-mile EPA driving range.
Aside from that, the Model X 60D uses the same 75-kWh battery pack as the more expensive Model X 75D, but it’s hobbled via software to use only 60 kWh. To free up the full 238 miles of EPA-rated...