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(Bloomberg) — Tesla Motors Inc. kicked off sales of its Model X sport utility vehicle Monday by inviting those who reserved a car the chance to give the company their personal specifications and by announcing the SUV’s price starts at $80,000 before federal tax credits or state rebates.

The first Model Xs that roll off Tesla’s assembly line in Fremont, California, are limited-edition Founders Series that typically go to board members and close friends of the company such as Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin. Those are followed by the Signature Series models, which are fully loaded, require a $40,000 deposit and start at $132,000.

With the Model X, Tesla now has two cars to sell and can begin to broaden its appeal. Adding more models is vital for a company that has generated plenty of hype and surpassed major carmakers in electric vehicle sales, but has yet to turn a profit.
The lowest price general production Model X, which has a 70-kilowatt battery and can travel 220 miles on a charge, requires a $5,000 deposit and starts at $80,000. That’s $5,000 more than the lowest price Model S sedan.

The Model X was first revealed as a concept in February 2012 at a Los Angeles event featuring California Governor Jerry Brown. The company previously targeted sales to begin the following year, then by the end of 2014. The Model X comes standard with dual motor all-wheel drive and is offered in three versions called the 70D, 90D and P90D, according to an e-mail from the company.

The different variations offer customers more power and driving range. The 70D is the base model and tops out at 140 miles per hour, the 90D has a 90-kWh battery that goes 267 miles on a single charge and has a top speed of 155 mph and the P90D is a high-performance version that goes from zero to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The base model 70D makes that trip in 6 seconds.

Though $80,000 is the base price, many customers are likely to add options such as a high-fidelity sound system for $2,500. The vehicle can be ordered with five, six or seven-seat configurations.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dana Hull in San Francisco at dhull12@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at jbutters@bloomberg.net Andrew Pollack