From X to Y
The above photo is my 2016 Tesla Model X 90D at the Painted Hills of eastern Oregon. I owned this vehicle for almost 7 years, and I loved it.
We purchased this new in 2016, years before the Model 3 and Model Y were available. In 2016, when shopping for an EV, I knew that it was a risk. I had already owned a Nissan LEAF for several years, and it was becoming apparent that the thermal management in the LEAF was (let's just say) inadequate.
Tesla, on the other hand, was an EV-only company; they seemed to know what they were doing. The Model S had won several awards, and Tesla's vehicles looked great. I'd read about their Chief Technology Officer, JB Straubel, and his work on the Stanford solar-powered car for the American Solar Challenge race, as well as his EV conversion of a Porsche 944. His homemade conversion EV set a world electric vehicle racing record in 2000. JB had the technical bona fides.
Tesla was still a startup in 2016, and the Model X was not cheap. The Leaf was the first new car that I'd ever purchased. Now, was I really going to take a risk on a software-defined vehicle by a startup that could disappear tomorrow? After reading about JB, the Model S awards, and taking a test drive, I decided to go for it. I was convinced that Tesla knew what they were doing and that the company would survive and thrive.
Only after some career success, frugal living, and a couple of lucky investments (including TSLA) did I arrive at a financial point where I could afford to buy a new Tesla. So in 2016, I purchased the most expensive vehicle that I will likely ever buy in my life. A long-range Tesla Model X 90D. This purchase was more than just another car; it was an investment in progress.
Little did I know when I purchased it, that it would profoundly shift my perspective on vehicle ownership and the future of EVs and emission-free travel amid nature's wonders.
Going through the configurator, there were a few decisions to make.
How Many Seats?
Model X comes in 5, 6, and 7-seat configurations. I ordered the 5-seater, but they were initially only making the 6-seat variants. My Tesla-handler told me that I could wait 3 to 4 months for the 5-seat, or I could take the 6-seater now. We were down a vehicle in our driveway, so we went for the 6-seat option, and that turned out to be a great choice. It was not just about the seat count. The 6-seater has an open second row with pedestal seats. This gives far more legroom to the 3rd row. Plus, the 2nd row seats are plush captain's chairs; this is the configuration that I'd recommend.
The Adventure Begins
Our Model X arrived in September of 2016. During our 7 years together, we had many fun adventures. We brought Xmas trees home on top of that giant glass roof (with some good planning).
Together we've traveled to Grants Pass; eastern Oregon; Bend, OR; San Diego; Great Wolf Lodge; the dunes of Florence; Thor's Well; Crater Lake; Oregon Wildlife Safari; Butterfly Pavilion, Mount Hood, Cove Palisades; The Oregon Caves, and many other destinations.
A New Mindset
As I mentioned above, this was not my first EV. I had owned a Chevy S10EV, and this Model X was parked in our garage next to our LEAF when it first arrived. However, this was my first Tesla and my first long-range (249 miles) EV. With the two short-range EVs I'd owned, you had to have a plan before you unplugged. You either had to know that you were going less than half a charge away and then turning back, or you had to have a charging plan (with contingencies). With the X, however, you could just get in and drive. The Supercharger network was deployed and growing. Trips up and down the West Coast were easy.
This is when I started investing more in Tesla; they had the formula right. They didn't just make EVs; they made an ecosystem that made EV ownership easy and fun.
Goodbye
Over the years, our X became more than just a car; it was our family adventure companion.
In 2023, we became empty nesters, and we wouldn't need to transport half a soccer team, so we downsized to a Tesla Model Y with HW4/AI4 and FSD.
Trading in my beloved 2016 Tesla Model X 90D felt like bidding farewell to a steadfast companion who'd reshaped my world. This six-seater wasn't just a car; it was a dependable friend that carried us through epic adventures from Crater Lake's azure depths to the wild dunes of Florence, while teaching me the joy of sustainable travel. The goodbye left an irreplaceable void in my garage and my heart.
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