Electric-car maker Tesla Motors (TSLA -3.55%) is polarizing. Its very mission suggests traditional automotive companies have been too slow to the punch. And these larger automakers' persistence in building gas and diesel vehicles in droves as Elon Musk's electric car sales soar as fast as the company can build them only heats the intensity of the opposing direction of Tesla from the rest of the auto industry.
Recently, however, a number of announcements from traditional automakers to build fully electric vehicles with 200 plus miles of range provided vindication for Tesla's firm belief that electric cars will represent the majority in the future. But is it already too late for these automakers to catch up to Tesla's leading position? A close look at Tesla's new Model X seems to suggest this may be the case.
Model X
With Model X, Tesla didn't just make an excellent fully electric SUV, it arguably built the best SUV ever made, flipping expectations for the SIV category as a whole upside down while it was at it. Innovations include "falcon wing" doors, "monopost" seats, uncanny storage, and all the good stuff in Model S -- like the 17-inch touch screen and the ability to drive hands- and feet-free at high way speeds (after an upcoming software update).
After spending several hours with the vehicle and a short test drive before the launch event, Motley Fool senior technology specialist Daniel Sparks details this new vehicle and how it is a critical step for Tesla in the video below.
