Tesla is giving some customers some really nice holiday gifts – the Model X they preordered. Though the company is not giving anything from its pocket, the end of the wait for the SUV is nothing less than a gift.
Tesla delivering Signature Series Model X
Tesla has been quietly delivering the popular SUV to a handful of customers over the past couple of weeks. Some of the customers who deposited $40,000 for the Signature Series of the Model X have received their vehicles in recent weeks, according to reports on social media, forums and blogs.
Tesla’s Model X Signature Series is a limited edition version for initial buyers. The car comes “fully loaded” with all the available features and costs $132,000 to $144,000. The Model X, which is Tesla’s third electric vehicle, was unveiled in 2012 and comes with attractive gull-wing doors and seating for seven adults.
A spokesperson from the EV firm confirmed the deliveries of the Signature Series versions of the Model X, says a report from Fortune. On Saturday, the company even tweeted a picture of one of the delivered SUVs.
Ramping Model X production
In September, the company delivered the first Founders Series Model Xs in a splashy event at its Fremont, Calif. factory. The deliveries were made to some VIPs, including Tesla investors and Google cofounder Sergey Brin.
After the initial six deliveries, it was unclear when the company would be able to deliver the Model X to the rest of the customers, with some having been waiting for it for years now. There were concerns about if the company would be able to ramp up its production to meet delivery expectations for both the Model X and the Model S.
Now the concerns can be said to be easing. Speaking to Fortune, Tesla spokesperson Khobi Brooklyn said the company has now produced “hundreds” of Model Xs and that soon it will start with the delivery of the “general production” versions. The Model X’s general version costs a minimum of $70,000 and makes up the majority of the Model X preorders.
Tesla had around 20,000 preorders for Model X as of this summer, says Fortune. During the recent earnings call, CEO Elon Musk said he is “very confident” about ramping up production of the Model X to “several hundred vehicles per week by the end of the year.”
