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Tesla will let you spec out a Model X starting Monday
Sure, all of the excitement is around Tesla's $35k+ Model 3, but what about the Model X SUV? It's slowly starting to hit the road, and CEO Elon Musk claimed (in a since deleted tweet) that the SUV's configurator will open to all on Monday.
VW's latest plug-in hybrid is built for off-roading
Most plug-in hybrid vehicles are better-suited to the streets than mud and rocks, but Volkswagen thinks it can make an exception. Its just-unveiled Tiguan GTE Active Concept mates a 148HP gas engine with two electric motors to provide an environmentally responsible off-roader. It can drive 20 miles solely on electric power, even in rough conditions, but has that conventional engine to provide extra grunt and range (580 miles total) for long expeditions.
Watch this Lexus NX concept roll out on wheels made of ice
Lexus isn't a newcomer to the world of bizarre vehicle concepts. Back in October, the company introduced the Origami Car, a working electric IS sedan made out of cardboard. Fast forward to today and Lexus is showing off an NX crossover with ice wheels -- yes, ice wheels. This project, aptly called Ice-Tyre Lexus NX, features a set of hand-sculptured tires created from multiple blocks of ice, each one intended to recreate the look of Lexus' alloy wheel and its companion Yokohama winter tire.
Tesla's cheapest Model X is priced at $80,000
If you don't mind waiting on delivery, the Tesla Model X is now on sale to the public. Like the Model S before it, there's three different versions to choose, but the 70D starts at $80,000 -- before incentives like federal (and possibly state) tax credits. The 70D has an estimated range of 220 miles and a top speed of 140 mph, while the 90D runs to 257 miles, with a 155-mph top speed. The P90D (the first Model X that'll arrive in early 2016), reduces the range to 250 miles, but will hit 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds (or 3.2 if you're feeling Ludicrous). While we don't have the pricing on all the models, Tesla has shared some of the configuration prices. They're all outlined after the break, but regardless of you make it your own, expect the cheaper 90D and 70D models to land mid- and late 2016.
Here's how to watch Tesla's Model X launch event
After dealing with many production delays over the past couple of years, Tesla's finally ready to launch the Model X, its highly anticipated crossover. Later this evening, the company will hold an event at a factory in Fremont, California, where it is expected to make the latest member of the Tesla family official. Yes, there's a lot we know about this electric vehicle already, but tonight we'll likely learn details that were previously unknown -- such as availability and how far it can go on a charge. The announcement is set for 8PM PT/11PM ET, and you can watch it live on Tesla's website.
ICYMI: The Kellogg box prize, a suped-up SUV and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-757254{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-757254, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-757254{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-757254").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: We know guys. You already lost precious time catching up with all the Apple news. That's why we're covering a virtual reality experience from Kellogg, which is sending out cereal boxes with instructions for making a VR headset out of them. In other paper-folding news, the cheapest ever foldable microscope (only 50 cents!) traveled to the Amazon rainforest and the pictures are gorgeous. And Range Rover is protecting its wealthiest patrons with an SUV that can take TNT blasts, armor-piercing gunshot rounds and other such spy-level shenanigans.
Range Rover's Sentinel SUV can survive virtually any attack
It's not uncommon for dignitaries and the super-wealthy to get armored vehicles, but Land Rover's new Range Rover Sentinel may be the protected luxury ride of choice -- especially if you're traveling through a warzone. The hand-built SUV looks exactly like the Autobiography it's based on, but has a slew of hidden upgrades that make it impervious to all but the heaviest attacks. On top of expected upgrades like bulletproof glass (it can handle armor-piercing rounds), the Sentinel has a high-strength steel passenger cell that protects against explosions from 33lbs of TNT from the side, and grenades on the floor or roof. That doesn't make it completely impervious, but it would take some deep, deep trouble to put your life at risk.
That decked-out first-run Tesla Model X will cost you $140K
Tesla revealed its pricing scheme for its upcoming Model X electric SUV on Tuesday when it sent out online configurators to prospective buyers. The limited edition first-run, dubbed the Signature Series, will reportedly retail for $132,000. For the base model. Granted, the Signatures will come with most every feature Tesla offers, like Autopilot. But if you want every option -- including Ludicrous mode as well as both the towing and cold weather packages -- get ready to shell out $143,750. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
Audi promises an all-electric SUV in 2018
If you want an all-electric SUV, you don't have many options right now, although Tesla's Model X is on the horizon. Audi will have an answer if you're willing to wait, though. The company's engineering lead, Ulrich Hackenberg, has revealed that the company is planning to launch an electric "sports activity vehicle" in 2018. He didn't say much about it, but he briefly showed a conceptual drawing of the from-scratch design (above) and vowed that it would have a long range of more than 500 kilometers, or 313 miles. Even a Model S P85D is only expected to manage 270 miles, so this might be the EV of choice for taking the family on a drive through the back country.
Mercedes-Benz' insane new SUV concept is a giant solar panel
German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has debuted a new concept for a hydrogen-powered SUV, and it's pretty crazy. The Vision G-Code is as striking as any concept, with a squat profile and space-age interior, but it's not the car's looks that are interesting here: it's the paint. When the G-Code is stationary, its "multi-voltaic" paint generates electricity in a number of ways. It acts like a giant solar cell, turning the sun's energy into electricity, and also charges electrostatically, harnessing the power of the wind.
Safety zealot hid a phone jammer in his SUV to stop other drivers taking calls
If you happen to notice a second-hand Toyota Highlander being offered for a quick sale in Seffner, Florida, you'll know exactly who it belongs to. A local man, Jason Humphreys, has been given 30 days to pay a $48,000 fine after being caught radio-handed with a high-powered phone jammer hidden under his SUV's front passenger seat. When he was pulled over by a squad of FCC agents and police officers, who had spent days tracking the source of the wideband interference emanating from his vehicle, he reportedly told them that he was "fed up with watching cell phone usage while people were driving." Unfortunately for Humphreys, the state of Florida deems it legal for motorists to engage in phone conversations while they're on the move, whereas it severely frowns on the use of unlicensed jamming equipment that can disrupt vital communications between emergency services. The only glimmer of hope for this grumpy vigilante is if he can write to the FCC and somehow stall the fine, but even then he'll likely still face a separate case raised by an even grumpier Sheriff's office. [Image credit: ABC Action News]
Tesla's Model X SUV enters production in early 2015, clever doors intact
Worried that Tesla's all-electric SUV, the Model X, might face yet another delay? Don't be. Tesla is telling pre-order customers that their vehicles will roll off the line in early 2015, complete with the space-saving "falcon wing" doors from the 2012 concept. The options list should be relatively short, too, as both all-wheel drive and fold-flat seats will come standard. You will have to pony up for a third row of seats, however. Elon Musk and crew haven't shown off the final design, although late-stage prototypes are due in the fall -- if you're still on the fence about Tesla's upscale people carrier, you'll have at least one more chance to see it before sales begin.
Battery production, design modifications delay Tesla's Model X SUV another year
During an interview with Bloomberg prior to Tesla's earnings call yesterday, CEO Elon Musk discussed a few interesting tidbits. The most significant revelation is that the Model X SUV, which was first detailed in 2012 and originally set to begin production late last year, is now delayed until 2015. Musk cited several reasons for the delay, such as a need to focus on Model S distribution efforts, including expanding sales to China, along with his own personal dissatisfaction with current prototypes. Tesla also needs to boost battery production before it can roll out SUVs at a speedy enough pace to meet demand, which Musk expects will exceed Model S adoption. Commenting on design, Musk said "it's damn hard to make an SUV... that is beautiful and yet incredibly functional at the same time. It's a harder design problem than the Model S." Meanwhile, when pressed about a recent visit with Apple's acquisitions chief, Musk did acknowledge that he has had discussions with Apple, but he said that he doesn't plan to sell his company at this time. For now, he seems focused on completing the Model X design process and moving ahead with the firm's giga battery factory, which would help Tesla ramp up battery production within the next few years.
VIA Motors introduces V-TRUX range of extended-range electric trucks, vans and SUVs
If you're launching a line of extended-range electric vehicles, ala the Chevy Volt, it's hard to imagine a better person to help you with the launch than Bob Lutz, the driving force behind that very car. Now he's working with VIA Motors, which today introduced a line of electric vehicles of a rather different scale. The V-TRUX line of big boy toys includes modified GMC trucks, SUVs and vans, customized to include a Volt-like powertrain that enables up to 40 miles of electricity-only driving before switching over to the onboard 4.8 liter V8. More details after the break.
Tesla Model X SUV hands-on (video)
We've seen the Model X in the flesh before, at its showy unveiling last February at which Tesla CEO Elon Musk turned up to show off the "Falcon Wing" rear doors and the rather... compact seating arrangement that makes room for three full rows of short-legged human beings. Here in Detroit at NAIAS the 2014 model year car is making another appearance, doors open and interior fully-functional. We couldn't resist hopping in there to check out the 17-inch multi-function touch panel. Largely the same as that in the Model S, the panel lets you manage climate control, navigation and, yes, do a little web surfing too. It's all demonstrated in the video after the break.
Blood Pact: How to use your warlock's party toys
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Pact for affliction, demonology, and destruction warlocks. This week, Megan O'Neill steps back to cover some group functions of warlocks she feels she must explain every week to her raidmates anyway. It's in our fel nature to want to work alone, but warlocks actually have some great party utility. We lost some of that utility in Cataclysm with the advent of a specific guild perk, but now in Mists of Pandaria we've resurfaced in lore and game mechanics. It's time to relearn our old tricks and introduce a new party toy to group content play.
Tesla gets $10 million grant from California to help with Model X production
Tesla's outspoken CEO, Elon Musk, said last week that he expects his company's financials to be somewhat satisfactory in the very near future, but that's not to say a $10 million grant wouldn't be welcomed with open arms. Thanks to the California Energy Commission, Tesla will have some extra cash to work with during the production phase of its upcoming electric SUV, otherwise more formally known as the Model X. According to Forbes, Tesla will match California's gesture with $50 million of its own -- the total, naturally, will be used to ramp up production at its Fremont plant and to snag the necessary machinery and components to build that sleek Model X. There's still a good amount of time before this EV hits the masses, so it looks like watching those select demos will have to suffice for now.
Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range
Toyota had said its all-electric RAV4 would be ready to tour the California streets at some point "late summer," and with the warmest of seasons coming to an end, the Japanese company's declared September 24th as the date the SUV will go on sale. What's more, today's press release reveals the RAV4 EV boasts a brilliant 103-mile range and 78 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), which, as Autoblog points out, makes this the first non-Tesla-branded EV with an EPA rating of 100-plus miles. If all that is still not enough for you to shell out the $50,000 (not counting rebates and tax credits, of course), Toyota dealers are expected to offer a 36-month lease option for anyone in The Golden State who prefers a shorter-term commitment.
Tesla CEO teases crossover and sports car EVs for 2016
Tesla founder Elon Musk would like to remind you that the Model X isn't the terminus of his company's electric car ambitions. Far from it: Musk tells Wired that Tesla's 2016 plans include both a crossover SUV akin to the BMW X3 as well as a pure sports car that goes beyond just a Roadster redux. The racier vehicle will have speed, but "not supercar pricing," the CEO says. He also elaborated on already-known plans for an 'entry' sedan in 2015, which should resemble a 20 to 25 percent smaller Model S and cost about $30,000 if all goes well. There's a wide gap between promises and reality in all those statements, but Musk has a reputation for largely delivering on target -- which gives us hope that there will finally be Tesla EVs within range of everyday budgets.
MotoCzysz aims to refashion TAC Motors' Stark into an eco-friendly off-roader
Imagine barreling through the Amazonian rainforest with machetes flailing from the windows of your off-road rig, and just as you're about to kick the vehicle into low gear, you pause to consider the impact of your vehicle's exhaust (among other things) on the delicate ecosystem around. Fortunately for eco-minded folks, Portland-based EV manufacturer MotoCzysz -- creator of the wicked E1pc electric motorcycle -- plans to allay some of those concerns with its all-electric eStark SUV. For the basis of the vehicle, the company has turned to Brazilian auto manufacturer TAC Motors. The two partners will work together to integrate MotoCyzysz's electric D1g1tal Dr1ve powertrain into otherwise diesel-thirsty Stark SUVs. Naturally, they'll also need to fill it with a healthy battery pack, which'll undoubtedly weigh down the otherwise plasticky carriage. Currently, the companies plan to manufacturer 3,600 eStark SUVs, which the partners hope to sell in Brazil and North America. Don't count on taking the eStark onto the freeway anytime soon, though -- the high cost of US safety certifications will likely keep this one away from city streets.
