Filed under:
Frankfurt Motor Show,
Crossover,
Tesla,
Electric
Tesla Model S - Click above for high-res image gallery
Up to this point, the only actual vehicle
Tesla Motors has offered for sale is the all-electric
Roadster. But the Silicon Valley-based automaker has drummed up a ton of interest and money by showing off its next planned product, the
Model S sedan. It looks as if that trend will continue, as a report from the fine folks at
Car and Driver suggests a new crossover will be shown off for the first time at the
Frankfurt Motor Show. This makes some sense, since Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that
we'll get to see the Model X before the end of the year.
Assuming this report is accurate, it's worth noting that the CUV's appearance in Frankfurt will mark the first time Tesla has used a major auto show to introduce a new model - both the original Roadster and the Model S sedan were both unveiled in smaller, private events.
The CUV will be based on the same underpinnings as the Model S sedan, which was designed from the start to allow for future model expansion. C&D speculates the crossover will sport all-wheel drive, though it's not known exactly how such an arrangement will work. It's possible that Tesla will craft a second powertrain unit that will power the front wheels independently of the rears. We'd expect a similar lithium ion battery pack to be used in the CUV as is planned for the sedan.
Following the unveil of the crossover, development of both a coupe and a larger, likely three-row sport utility vehicle will move forward in full force. There's
also been talk of a carbiolet and possibly a minivan or MPV. Of course, all of this assumes that the startup automaker, which has partnered up with both
Daimler and
Toyota, doesn't run out of money before any of these future vehicles come to market. Here's hoping.
Gallery: Tesla Model S in motion




[Source:
Car and Driver]
Report: Tesla Model S-based crossover coming to Frankfurt? originally appeared on
Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our
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