As part of Tesla's annual report to the SEC, the company revealed that it is pushing back production of its Model X electric crossover vehicle until late 2014 — that's a year-plus delay over what Tesla announced last February when the car was unveiled. According to the Los Angeles Times, part of the reasoning behind this delay is that it'll allow Tesla to pay back its loan to the US Energy Department five years ahead of schedule. The company also said that it wants to focus more on the Model S roadster, which began shipping last year. A statement given to Autoblog from Tesla confirms this strategy:
Tesla has been intensely focused on Model S, its production and product enhancements and believe there is increased volume potential for Model S. As a result, Tesla has decided to slightly push back the development and timing of Model X to 2014. We do not expect a material impact on our profitability in 2013 or 2014.Given the delay, it seems likely that the Model X won't make its way into consumers' hands for a good two years or so — if you were dreaming of carting your family around in an electric crossover with gull-wing doors, you'll just have to be patient.