Why should internal combustion have all the fun?
Check out this video of a Tesla owner in the Czech Republic taking their Model X off-road. Sure, the all-electric crossover isn’t exactly tackling the Rubicon since the off-road location shown here is a muddy field but it is great to see a Tesla owner willing to get down and dirty with their EV.
It actually acquits itself a lot better than your author expected, raising a front wheel a time or two while clambering diagonally over a muddy obstacle. The video shows the Model X’s tire stops rotating when it leaves terra firma, answering a few questions about how Tesla configures its AWD setup.
The black Tesla Model X shown here is the snazzy 100D trim, meaning it is equipped with all-wheel drive and the ability to haul itself to 60mph from rest in less than five seconds. Its 100kWh battery should be good for just under 300 miles of driving before it needs to be topped off with electricity.
Predictably, the video ends with footage of the Model X ensnared in some very goopy mud, with a few humans employed pushing the EV free. To be fair, just about any road-focused crossover with street tires would likely have suffered the same fate in those slick conditions. A few battered internal-combustion rigs stand to the side, apparently ready to deploy a tow strap if needed … and is that a Samurai with a pickup truck bed entering the frame at 3:26?? Cool!
There are no shortage of all-electric off-roaders and pickups set to enter the market sooner rather than later, ranging from the Bollinger B1 to the Rivian R1T. A few weeks ago, we asked in a poll how many of you would consider wheeling an EV off-road and the results were much more in favor of all-electric fun than expected.
If monstrous torque and low maintenance is the future of our sport, then count us in.