Tesla Model X: history, changes by year, range and recalls

The story of the Model X

Tesla showed the Model X prototype at its design studio in Hawthorne, California, on February 9, 2012, a few months before the first Model S sedans reached customers. It shared much of its engineering with the Model S but had a taller body, room for a third row, and rear doors hinged in the roof that Tesla called falcon wings. Reservation holders were told to expect the first cars in late 2013.

That date slipped again and again. In February 2013 Tesla moved first deliveries to late 2014, later to the second quarter of 2015, and in November 2014 to the third quarter of 2015. Among the reasons were the falcon-wing doors and the difficulty of keeping the motors cool while towing. Tesla later took the door problem to court. In January 2016 it sued its original door supplier, Hoerbiger, saying the hydraulic prototypes built between February 2014 and May 2015 leaked oil, sagged and ran too hot, and that it had been forced to design its own electromechanical doors and pay a new supplier a premium to build them. The two companies settled that September.

The first cars finally went to customers on September 29, 2015, at an event at the Fremont factory, where six Founders Series cars were handed over. The first public version was the Signature Series, priced from $132,000 to $144,000 with a 90 kWh battery, and Tesla quoted 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The doors carried ultrasonic sensors so they could change their arc in tight spaces, and Tesla engineers said they needed only about a foot of room beside the car. The Model X also brought a large HEPA cabin filter and a Bioweapon Defense Mode that pressurizes the cabin with filtered air.

Cheaper versions followed, starting with a 60D rated at 200 miles, and in June 2017 the Model X became the first SUV to earn five-star NHTSA ratings in every category and subcategory. In May 2018 a Model X P100D towed a Qantas Boeing 787-9 about 987 feet at Melbourne Airport for a Guinness World Record. For the first crewed SpaceX launch in May 2020, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley rode to the pad in a Model X wearing the NASA worm logo and an ISSBND license plate.

The Model X shared the Model S's later updates: the Raven motors and adaptive suspension in 2019, Long Range Plus in 2020, a new interior with a horizontal screen and yoke steering in 2021, and a tri-motor, 1,020-horsepower Plaid that Tesla quoted at 2.5 seconds to 60 mph. A final update in June 2025 added a front bumper camera and more third-row shoulder room.

The end came with the Model S. On January 28, 2026, Elon Musk said it was "time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge," and that the Fremont line would give way to Optimus robot production. Custom orders closed on April 1, 2026, with about 301 Model X cars left in inventory worldwide, and the US stock sold out within days. The last 100 Model X cars were Plaid Signature Editions priced at $159,420, and the final one, a signed Plaid, left Fremont in early May 2026. Tesla handed over the Signature cars at a Fremont ceremony on May 20, 2026.

Generations

2015–2021 Original

The launch Model X: delayed nearly two years by its falcon-wing doors, delivered from September 2015, and later the SUV that towed a 787 and carried astronauts to the launch pad.

The Model X took more than three and a half years to go from prototype to customer. After the February 2012 reveal in Hawthorne, reservation holders were told late 2013. Tesla moved that to late 2014 in February 2013, then to the second quarter of 2015, and in November 2014 to the third quarter of 2015. The falcon-wing doors were a large part of the problem. According to Tesla's later lawsuit, its first supplier, Hoerbiger, spent from February 2014 to May 2015 without producing a hydraulic door prototype that met Tesla's standards; the units leaked oil, sagged and overheated. Tesla cut ties in May 2015, designed its own electromechanical system, and paid a new supplier a premium to rush it into production. The case settled in September 2016.

Deliveries began at Fremont on September 29, 2015, with six Founders Series cars. The Signature Series that followed cost $132,000 to $144,000 with a 90 kWh battery, and Tesla quoted 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Each falcon-wing door was double-hinged and fitted with ultrasonic sensors, with another on the roof, so the doors could change their arc when parked close to another car or under a low ceiling. A HEPA cabin filter and a Bioweapon Defense Mode, which pressurizes the cabin with filtered air, were part of the package. Air suspension was standard.

The lineup broadened in 2016 with a 60D at 200 miles of range and a 90D at 257 miles. For 2017 the EPA rated the 75D at 237 miles, the 100D at 295 and the P100D at 289. In June 2017 NHTSA gave the Model X five stars in every category and subcategory, the first SUV to earn that, and Tesla said it had the lowest probability of injury of any SUV tested. In May 2018 a P100D towed a 286,600-pound Qantas Boeing 787-9 about 987 feet at Melbourne Airport, a Guinness record for an electric production passenger car.

From April 2019 the Model X shared the Raven update with the Model S: a permanent magnet front motor and adaptive suspension. The Long Range rose to 325 miles, then to 351 as the Long Range Plus in February 2020, and later to 371. In May 2020 a Model X with an ISSBND plate carried Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the pad for SpaceX's Demo-2 mission.

2021–2026 Refresh and final years

The refreshed Model X of late 2021 with a horizontal screen, yoke and tri-motor Plaid, ending with 100 Signature Edition cars in 2026.

Tesla revealed the refreshed Model S and Model X together in January 2021, and the SUV followed the sedan into production that fall. On the afternoon of October 16, 2021, about 30 white refreshed Model X cars were handed to their first owners at Fremont. Inside was a 17-inch horizontal touchscreen, a new instrument display, a rear-seat screen, a new center console and the yoke steering wheel. The Long Range started at $101,190 and the Plaid at $121,190, and new buyers faced waits stretching into 2022. Plaid deliveries followed shortly after.

The Model X Plaid used the same three-motor, 1,020-horsepower drivetrain as the sedan. Tesla quoted 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and a 163 mph top speed, and the EPA range ran from about 294 to 314 miles depending on wheels. From January 2023 buyers could again order a round steering wheel, and yoke owners could pay $700 for a retrofit. A June 2025 update added a front bumper camera, adaptive headlights, dynamic ambient lighting, new wheels, Frost Blue paint and more shoulder room in the third row, and raised the Long Range estimate from 329 to 352 miles, along with a $5,000 price increase.

Tesla announced the end on January 28, 2026, when Musk said the Model S and X programs would get "an honorable discharge" and production would wind down the following quarter. Custom orders closed on April 1, 2026, with about 301 Model X cars left in inventory worldwide, most of them in the United States, and the Model X was sold out in the US within days.

The last 100 Model X cars were Plaid Signature Editions, tri-motor, 1,020 horsepower, with the Luxe Package and a $159,420 price, offered by invitation to long-time customers. The final one built at Fremont in early May 2026 was a signed Plaid. After a delay caused by Musk's trip to Beijing, owners took delivery at a Fremont ceremony on May 20, 2026.

Variants

Years	Variant	Drive	Battery	EPA range	0–60 mph	Top speed
2015-2016	Model X Signature Series (P90D)	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	90 kWh	—	3.8 s (Tesla)	—
2016	Model X 60D	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	60 kWh	200 mi	—	—
2016	Model X 90D	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	90 kWh	257 mi	—	—
2017	Model X 75D	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	75 kWh	237 mi	—	—
2017	Model X 100D	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	100 kWh	295 mi	—	—
2017	Model X P100D	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	100 kWh	289 mi	—	—
2019	Model X Long Range (Raven)	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	—	325 mi	—	—
2020	Model X Long Range Plus (20-inch wheels)	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	—	351 mi	—	—
2022	Model X Plaid	All-wheel drive (tri-motor)	—	—	2.5 s (Tesla)	163 mph
2025	Model X Long Range (before June 2025 update)	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	—	329 mi	—	—
2025-2026	Model X Long Range (June 2025 update)	All-wheel drive (dual motor)	—	352 mi	—	—
2025-2026	Model X Plaid (June 2025 update)	All-wheel drive (tri-motor)	—	335 mi	—	—
2026	Model X Plaid Signature Edition (100 built)	All-wheel drive (tri-motor)	—	—	—	—

Each variant name links to the source for its figures. A dash means no reliable published figure.

EPA ratings

Year	Trim	Drive	Range	MPGe (comb.)	Source
2016	Model X AWD - 60D	All-Wheel Drive	200 mi	93	EPA
2020	Model X Long Range	All-Wheel Drive	328 mi	96	EPA
2025	Model X	All-Wheel Drive	329 mi	98	EPA
2025	Model X Plaid (20in wheels)	All-Wheel Drive	314 mi	94	EPA
2026	Model X	All-Wheel Drive	352 mi	105	EPA
2026	Model X Plaid	All-Wheel Drive	335 mi	100	EPA

Selected EPA ratings from fueleconomy.gov. Wheel size and trim change the rating, so check the EPA listing for an exact car.

What changed, year by year

2015 First deliveries

Tesla delivered the first six Founders Series cars at Fremont on September 29, 2015, followed by the $132,000 to $144,000 Signature Series.
Source
2016 60D and 90D join the lineup

A lower-priced 60D with 200 miles of range joined the 90D, rated at 257 miles. Air suspension was standard from launch.
Source
2017 100 kWh models and five-star rating

The EPA rated the 2017 75D at 237 miles, the 100D at 295 and the P100D at 289. In June 2017 the Model X earned five NHTSA stars in every category.
Source
2019 Raven motor and adaptive suspension

From April 2019 the Model X used a permanent magnet front motor and adaptive suspension, and the Long Range rose to 325 miles.
Source
2020 Long Range Plus

In February 2020 the Long Range Plus raised the EPA estimate to 351 miles on 20-inch wheels.
Source
2021 Refreshed interior and Plaid

Deliveries of the refreshed Model X began in October 2021, with a 17-inch horizontal touchscreen, a yoke steering wheel, and a tri-motor Plaid quoted at 2.5 seconds to 60 mph.

How to recognize it: A horizontal center screen marks a refreshed car; earlier cars have an upright screen.
Source
2023 Round wheel returns

From January 2023 a round steering wheel was available on new orders, with a $700 retrofit for yoke owners.
Source
2025 Final update

A June 2025 update added a front bumper camera, adaptive headlights, dynamic ambient lighting, new wheels and more third-row shoulder room, raised the Long Range to 352 miles, and raised prices by $5,000.

How to recognize it: A small camera in the center of the front bumper.
Source
2026 End of production announced

On January 28, 2026, Tesla said Model S and Model X production would wind down the following quarter to make way for Optimus robot production at Fremont.
Source
2026 Custom orders close

Custom orders ended on April 1, 2026. About 301 Model X cars remained in inventory worldwide, and the Model X sold out in the US within days.
Source
2026 Signature Edition and final car

The last 100 Model X cars were Plaid Signature Editions priced at $159,420. The final Model X built at Fremont, in early May 2026, was a signed Plaid.

How to recognize it: Signature Edition cars were built only in 2026 and sold by invitation.
Source

Did you know

Tesla said its first falcon-wing door supplier, Hoerbiger, produced hydraulic prototypes that leaked oil, sagged and overheated. Tesla designed its own electromechanical doors instead and sued in January 2016.
Source
Early Model X reservation holders were told to expect deliveries in late 2013. The first cars reached customers on September 29, 2015.
Source
Tesla engineers said the double-hinged falcon-wing doors can open with about a foot of space beside the car, using ultrasonic sensors to judge the room available.
Source
In June 2017 the Model X became the first SUV to earn five-star NHTSA crash ratings in every category and subcategory.
Source
In May 2018 a Model X P100D towed a 286,600-pound Qantas Boeing 787-9 about 987 feet at Melbourne Airport, a Guinness World Record for an electric production passenger car.
Source
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley rode to the launch pad for SpaceX's Demo-2 mission in May 2020 in a Model X with the NASA worm logo and an ISSBND license plate.
Source
The Model X introduced Tesla's large HEPA cabin filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode, which pressurizes the cabin so outside air can only come in through the filters.
Source
The last 100 new Model X cars were Plaid Signature Editions, sold by invitation to long-time Tesla customers for $159,420 each.
Source
Within days of Tesla closing Model X custom orders on April 1, 2026, the remaining US inventory of the SUV sold out.
Source

Safety recalls

NHTSA lists 39 recall campaigns that include the Model X. 22 of them were fixed by an over-the-air software update, with no service visit needed. The most recent:

May 2026 · back over prevention:software
Mar 2025 · air bags
Jan 2025 · back over prevention:software

Model X recall campaigns, with NHTSA's summaries →

Model X owner tips Hidden features, practical tips, and what to do when the 12-volt battery dies Story Falcon Wings: The Doors That Defined, and Delayed, the Model X The Model X's rear doors took more than three years to get from a Hawthorne stage to customers, cost Tesla a supplier and a lawsuit, and still became the car's signature from a Melbourne runway to a Florida launch pad. Story From NUMMI to Cybercab: How Tesla Built Its Factories A shuttered joint venture plant in California, a battery factory in the Nevada desert, and new plants in Shanghai, Germany and Texas turned a small carmaker into one of the world's largest manufacturers, and a factory in Mexico still waits. Story From Six Superchargers to the Continent's Plug Tesla built a private fast-charging network for the Model S in 2012. Twelve years later its connector was an SAE standard, rival brands were plugging in, and the team that ran it had been fired and partly rehired.

Model X links

Model X on tesla.com
Tesla's official page. New-car orders closed in April 2026, so use it for owner and support information.
Wikipedia: Tesla Model X
In-depth history and references.
r/TeslaModelX
Owner community on Reddit.
Video reviews on YouTube
Road tests and long-term owner reviews.
Owner's manuals
Official procedures for emergency door releases, jump starting and towing.