Tesla Detroit Predictions: Production Model X And First Battery Swap Stations

Update: The Tesla press conference was about as boring as could be. Besides updating sales and Supercharger information, nothing particularly new or exciting was announced. Detailed update coming soon-ish.

Just like last year, Tesla Motors is here for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to make some kind of big announcement. But instead of waiting another two hours, allow me to wildly speculate that Tesla’s announcement will either be the unveiling of the production Tesla Model X, and/or the opening of the first battery swapping stations in the U.S.

Why not just waiting until the press conference? Well frankly, I’m bored, and Tesla loves to do the “big bombshell announcement” thing, but this time I think I’ve got them figured out. First off, I seriously doubt the Tesla Model E is about to debut, as the Tesla Model X is the next car Elon Musk needs to promote as it goes on sale later this year. Rumor has it the Model E will break cover next year, at the 2015 North American International Auto Show.

So far, we haven’t seen a production model of the Tesla Model X, just the concept with its falcon-wing doors. I’d be fairly flabbergasted if those doors made it into production, though if anyone can do it, it’s Tesla. With the Model X launch just months away though, it seems almost certain a production version is about to break cover.

But that’s not all! Tesla’s other big announcement is probably going to be related to their battery-swapping stations. We haven’t heard much at all about battery-swapping since Elon Musk presented in late June, when the Tesla CEO promised to open battery-swapping stations by the end of 2013. Yet here we are, in 2014, and still no big announcement about the first battery swapping stations. I expect the press conference to announce when we can expect the first swapping-stations to open, if they haven’t already.

Well there you go, not exactly wild or dangerous speculation here, but I think I’m pretty much on the money. We’ll know by lunch time just how accurate my predictions were.

Source: Gas2.0