Tesla's Model X was defined, and delayed, by its upward-swinging falcon wing doors
The Model X's party trick, rear doors hinged twice so they lift up rather than swing out, helped push its launch back repeatedly and even led Tesla to sue its door supplier. Built from 2015 to 2026, the electric SUV ended with its factory line handed over to making robots.
Tesla unveiled the Model X prototype at its Hawthorne, California design studio on February 9, 2012, taking reservations without naming a price. Deliveries were meant to start in early 2014, but slipped repeatedly while Tesla focused on building 20,000 Model S cars in 2013, and the production version finally appeared on September 29, 2015. Part of the holdup was the doors: in 2016 Tesla sued the Swiss hydraulics maker Hoerbiger over falcon wing doors it said leaked oil and overheated, settling that September.
The car grew out of the Model S platform, yet ended up sharing only about 30 per cent of its parts, half the 60 per cent originally planned. Both models were built at Fremont, California. The falcon wing doors keep their leading edge close to the body as they rise, which Tesla argued made climbing into the rear easier in tight spaces, and the cabin seats up to seven in three rows. Every version used two motors for all-wheel drive, and with a towbar it can pull up to 5,000 pounds.
Specifications kept climbing. Battery packs of 60, 75, 90 and 100 kWh were offered over the years; the 2016 60D actually carried a 75 kWh pack limited by software, which owners could pay to unlock. The P100D with Ludicrous Mode reached 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and the later Plaid did it in 2.5 seconds, covering a quarter mile in 9.9. Rated range rose from 325 miles after a 2019 refresh to 371 miles for the Long Range Plus in October 2020.
Global sales passed 10,000 in August 2016 and reached 106,689 through September 2018. In January 2026 Tesla announced the end of both the Model X and Model S, with the line to be repurposed for Optimus robots and a final invite-only Signature Edition of 100 cars. That same year it became the fastest-selling used car in the United States.
Source: Tesla Model X
