Tesla's first SUV, the Model X, to make its debut
FREMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- The very first customers who bought Tesla's new brand new SUV, will get to drive them away Tuesday night.
The Tesla Model X is pricey, but right now, gas is not. Gas prices could be putting the future of electric cars in danger.
Tesla's ModelX will be the technology motor company's luxury SUV model. With a price tag of more than $80,000 it's not the best option for saving a few dollars by avoiding gas pumps, especially since the price of gas has plummeted over the last year.
VIDEO: CEO Elon Musk unveils Tesla's new Model X
"It's not only that Saudi Arabia and the traditional oil countries are flooding the market, we're seeing much more oil and gas being pumped in U.S. states in Canada. There is a glut of oil on the market because of new exploration technologies for fossil fuels," said University of California Berkeley professor Daniel Kammen.
Those falling gas prices might be having an effect on electric car sales. This year, more than 72,000 plug-in vehicles, or EVs were sold, which is lagging behind last year's sales by about 7,000 units.
But Kammen at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy says electric cars will likely continue to grow for a few reasons.
"The price to go a mile in an electric vehicle is about a third what it is to go, even with today's gas prices, than to drive a combustion vehicle," Kammen said.
He says California is under a mandate to have a million EV's on the roads by 2020. And there are lots of incentives for car companies and potential owners, including HOV stickers and rebates.
Chevrolet is re-launching the Volt with a sticker price that's significantly less than a Tesla.
"The 2015 Volt starts at $33,995 and that's before a Federal Tax Credit of $7,500 and in California you can also apply for a $1,500 clean vehicle rebate," said General Motors product specialists Darin Jesse.
It's not clear how much longer gas prices will continue to drop, but in the meantime car companies are hoping buyers will pay attention to these EV options.
