Tesla Killed The Cheapest Model X Just Three Months After Introducing It

Tesla just capped off its best quarter yet, delivering 8,700 Model X crossovers to customers and a total of 24,500 deliveries for the Q3 of 2016. Apparently that wasn't good enough to keep the 60D trim of the Model X around, because Tesla just killed it only three months after introducing it.

The Model X 60D was introduced in July to try and lower the cost of the Model X and, in theory, boost sales of the electric crossover for Tesla. It came with a software-limited version of the same battery pack in the 75D, with unchanged performance beyond lowering the range to 200 miles. The 60D was priced at $74,000, which was $6,000 cheaper than the 75D (all figures after incentives).

Too bad, because despite the record quarter, Tesla is killing the 60D and likely hoping that, in doing so, its goal of achieving another record-breaking quarter in Q4 of this year wont be affected.

Given Tesla's growing production woes with mounting concern of its ability to manufacture all of the cars it plans to sell, perhaps streamlining the lineup was the answer. It's probably not too difficult to convince someone about to drop $74,000 on an electric crossover to go ahead and pay a little extra for the extended range of the unlocked battery, anyway.

Besides, with no option for steelies, AC delete, plastic panels or other traditional cost-saving packages, were they really trying to make it that cheap? Heck, I'd rock a battery sled with a chair if they priced it right.