Elon Musk, Tesla CTO Talk Model X Details, Model S Upgrades

joe5 writes "Tesla Motors tries to keep product details quiet for the most part, but in a recent Q & A session in Norway (Teslas sell extremely well there) Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the company's CTO JB Straubel discussed some interesting nuggets about the Model S, the upcoming Model X SUV, and the company's planned Model E sedan."

Re:Best new feature:

[CanHasDIY]

Since the summary is unsurprisingly lacking any details, I found this feature the most important:

"Tesla is shooting for a battery cost for the Model E of 30 to 40 percent less per kilowatt-hour than the Model S. This will help Tesla hit its price target of $30,000 to $40,000, competitive with the BMW 3-Series. Part of the cost reduction will presumably come from the huge "giga-factory" Tesla envisions to build Model E batteries."

So.. it's vaporware. That's what we call it when a company pontificates about the amazing advancements of their not-yet-invented technology, right?

Here's another, less 'vapor-y' statement from TFA:

The Model X will actually have a lower drag coefficient than the super-slick Model S. But because of its increased frontal area, the total drag will be higher. Combined with a slightly heavier weight, the Model X will have an energy consumption about 10 percent higher than the Model S. (Musk did not say whether the Model X battery size would be increased in order to maintain the same range as the Model S.)

So, it's going to be heavier, create more drag, and use more energy (and thus, probably have a lower range) than a Tesla S. Oh, and it has AWD standard, and all sorts of fancy electronics to keep those gullwing doors (because that's what those are called, Elon) from whacking into stuff.

For less than half the price of the Model S.

Color me skeptical.