Tesla Model X Will Appeal Strongly To Women

The upcoming Tesla Model X may be an even more important car than the Model S, but to be a success it will have to appeal directly to women. That’s because the Model X is an SUV, and women are the primary market for SUV makers, which is one of the biggest new car markets in the world. While the Model S sedan has appealed strongly to men — almost 86% of Model S buyers are male, women may ultimately decide whether or not Tesla is a successful automaker, reports the Mercury News, and Elon Musk knows it. At Tesla’s annual meeting this year, a woman advised CEO Elon Musk to make future vehicles “a little bit more women-favored.”

“That’s a good point,” said Musk. “We’re certainly paying more attention to the needs of women in the Model X, and I think you’re right, we probably got a little too guy-centric on the S. So, we’re hoping to correct that with the X.” They started by having head designer Franz von Holzhausen spend 3 hours with a panel of women at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto last year. The participants made sure he knew what aspects of the new car were important to them.

Bringing an SUV to market is critical to success for Tesla. SUV’s and pickup trucks account for more than half of all new vehicle sales in the US, and more women are historically more interested in a SUV than a sedan. “If you are a serious automaker, you have to be in the SUV market,” Renee Stephens, vice president of automotive research at JD Power and Associates, told the Mercury News. “In the past three years, the compact SUV segment has really grown and Tesla is saying, ‘Hey, this is a market for us. We need to get in there.” And when you look at the competition, it’s clear that Tesla already holds a serious advantage.

Tesla says the Model X is a “family vehicle with performance roots” and that “you can finally live a big-car lifestyle without living at the pump.” That’s important to many women who are getting kids, groceries and pets into and out of the car many times a day, but still see themselves as defenders of the planet. The second row of seats slides all the way forward to make access to the third row seats more convenient and the large amount of cargo space in the rear is important to buyers, too.

But the most sensational feature of the Tesla Model X is its falcon wing doors. Looking like a throwback to the gullwing doors on a Mercedes Benz 300SL of 1953, they are hinged in the center of the car and rise up and out of the way to make getting in and out in tight spaces easy. Of the falcon-wing doors, Tesla says that… “While earning serious style points, they’re functional first. You easily step, not climb, into Model X.” That’s definitely appeal to the sensibilities of women and men.

The Model X is scheduled to go on sale in 2015. Although its introduction has been delayed several times, potential buyers are lining up for the chance to own one. Experts predict it will cost about $70,000, which is what a base model Tesla S sells for.