A few weeks ago Elon Musk showcased his latest plans regarding his car company, Tesla. With this plans, he said that they plan on introducing a few new models such as a pickup as well as the Tesla Allterrain 2017. The latter has been designed in-house by a Tesla intern a while ago and it seems it might reach production in a couple of years.
Tesla Allterrain 2017 PRICE
The price of the future production model has been left unannounced but some suggested a retail price slightly above that of the Model 3. At little over $35,000, the Allterrain would benefit from a rather aggressive pricing scheme which should allow it to compete with cars like the new Wrangler or the upcoming Bronco.
Chassis and platform
Unlike these two, though, it would be a fully electric vehicle which would get its own set of benefits. For starters, the car designed by Tesla’s intern is a modular vehicle based on a rather slim chassis which includes the batteries and electric motors. The car would feature a 70 kWh battery pack which is quite close to the base Model S. Also because the batteries are quite heavy, it would be mostly made out of aluminum in order to not exceed 4,000 pounds. Unlike many of the competing cars, the Allterrain uses a fully independent suspension system which would give it superior handling characteristics both on and off the road.
Design characteristics
Like with the older generations of the Wrangler, the future Tesla Allterrain 2017 would feature a rather modular design. Because it will not have an engine in the front, a spare tire will be able to fit under the hood. Also, this will be removable in order to allow for a large storage area. At the back, the car will feature two seats. These will be mounted in an open area, similar to the 1970s two-door crossovers. A semi-transparent cover will be available and the C-pillars will slide on rails to allow for multiple configurations. The most interesting feature here though has to be the removable batter-pack. This would be mounted where the spare tire would usually go. An extra of 10 kWh would be added to the car which would allow the driver to get out from tough situations.
Another interesting fact about this concept are the doors. These will open like regular doors instead of the Gullwing design of the X. However, the roof boasts a unique T-top while the doors can be completely removed.
Powertrain
Like with any other comparable crossover, the Tesla Allterrain 2017 is definitely going to feature an all-wheel drive system. However, instead of using drive-shafts and heavy gearboxes, the car will benefit from two electric motors.
Its designer didn’t say much about their power but he did say that the car will be able to hit 60 MPH in around 4 seconds. This is considerably better than pretty much any direct competitor. Also, its top speed would be 120 MPH which is more than enough for a car in this class. Considering the performance we expect the concept to have around 500 horsepower. This would mean that it uses the same engines as in the base Model X.
A production version of the Allterrain would most likely offer less than that. However, because it is a crossover intended for off-road use, high-speed performance is not as important. Instead, the car will have to be tweaked for off-road performance and towing. Also, with the help of its 70 kWh battery-pack, the concept will be able to go more than 220 miles. The extra 10 kWh from the modular battery pack should give it an extra of around 10 to 20%. If the car will feature less power it might even get further.
