Here you go
@Chewbacca -
Tesla Model X
This car shown is a 19-plate Model X 100D, six-seater SUV in red with black vegan leather interior.
Fitted with the portrait central display screen that controls literally everything in the car from opening the doors to moving the seats, climate control, satnav, entertainment, even internet access... you can catch up on and read the
@GrandOldTeam forum whilst charging the battery cells
Approach the car with the car shaped keyfob in your pocket and the drivers door opens itself for you, handy if carrying things, no need to put them down whilst fumbling for your key.
Getting in behind the steering wheel and all you need to do it put your foot on the brake pedal, press the column mounted gearlever down to D and away you go... one pedal driving as you squeeze the accelerator pedal and the car gets off the mark. And it gets off the mark quickly if want it to, even in Chill mode - that equates to Comfort in the likes of Audi/Mercedes etc.
The SatNav offers the choice of either map or Google Earth view and to pan in or out, simply open or squeeze two fingers together as you would on a smartphone or iPad. Using the extensive menu options on the console and you can automatically adjust suspension ride height, seating positions, and a myriad of other screens... and most importantly, you can keep an eye on rate of battery recharge when plugged in.
It takes a few minutes to get acquainted to the system but anyone with an iPad of smartphone will get used to it no time at all.
On the steering wheel are just two rotary controls, the left hand one for the radio/satnav volume adjustment and the right hand one to make telephone calls with your bluetooth enabled phone.
The steering column mounted gear lever, wiper stalk and cruise control are Mercedes stock items and extremely simple to use - good thinking by Tesla in using tried and trusted controls from the German giant.
The seating is comfortable, offers loads of legroom in the front and more than enough in the rear seats as well. With no central transmission tunnel hump, there's plenty of space throughout the interior and the cavernous boot - with the third row of seats lying flat - offers plenty of space for suitcases, luggage, folded pushchairs etc etc. Headroom is fantastic and the swept back windscreen offers a panoramic skylight certainly for the driver and front seat passenger.
Driving the Model X is simplicity itself, you simply press the accelerator pedal to go and because the car is full electric, as soon as you ease off the throttle, the regenerative braking kicks immediately and the car slows down quickly... there is practically no glide as you get with a conventional ICE car. And it's this instant 'engine' braking that's coined the phrase 'one-pedal driving' - as the need to use the brakes is massively reduced, and if you're driving sensibly almost rendered unnecessary, not 100% obviously, but you very quickly get to realise that regenerative braking and the bonus of the self-charging it provides is a massive plus point of electric vehicles.
Steering and the brakes if/when needed are precise and excellent, the (rear) suspension might at first appear to be a bit stiff when driving over a speed hump but that's possibly because the Model X is a heavy car and it might take a little getting used to. Personally, and today was the third decent journey of 200 miles plus I've done in this car, I don't find it stiff but that's maybe just me.
A full charge in this 19-plate Model X showed a 260-mile range and allowing for the use of lights, wipers, heating, satnav, radio etc that all eat into the battery power, you can reasonably expect 210-230 miles on a full charge... unless driving at night in heavy rain, when range might drop to 180-200 miles.
Tesla EVs can be plugged in at any EV charging station but, for optimum charging rates and the quickest charging time, it's always best to hook up to a Tesla Supercharger point such as the one in Picture 2. Connect the cable and then go take a comfort break, buy a cup of coffee, pan through the magazine rack in the services and you can add a hundred miles of charge in about 20-25 minutes.
Now what this means is that longer journeys, 200 miles or more, need a little more planning in order to factor in a recharging stop but if fully charged with 260 miles in the batteries, normal day-to-day running around town and/or short commuting trips should be easily achievable, and leaving charging then until you get home and hooking up to the mains or a home charging unit.
The Tesla Model X is not a cheap car but, you're getting an awful lot of the best EV technology currently available AND you're not contributing toxic exhaust gases into the atmosphere.
I firmly believe electric cars are the way to go, if not right now, they very soon will be as Tesla - in particular as purely an EV car manufacturer - are utterly committed to making EVs cheaper and more affordable in the very near future.
It's not hype but their battery cell technology is considerably ahead of all the major car manufacturers and this is likely to be the case for number of years to come. The Model X is right at the top end of the Tesla range and carries a price tag to match, so it's a lottery win for most of us... the cheaper Model 3, soon to arrive Model Y and the future Model B will be much more affordable and more than worthy of serious, serious consideration.
My marks out of ten…
Comfort 8
Battery Range 7 - remember this is an older 19-plate car and the latest Model X has a 320-340+mile range.
Performance 8.5
Build Quality 8 - Early Tesla cars did have some BQ issues but the current standards are far higher than a few years ago.
Practicality 8 - Spacious, comfortable, clean and massive luggage space.
