Tesla Motors plans to obtain more female drivers by releasing an electric SUV specifically designed for women.
The Model X SUV is set to debut in the next few months and is part of the electric automaker's plan to appeal to a broader audience, which includes fans of crossovers and SUVs, according to Business Insider.
The launch comes at a time when SUVs are among America's best-selling vehicle types and are becoming more popular among women, which is one the country's fastest growing markets, The Washington Post reported. J.D. Power data shows that women bought about 40 percent of over 16 million cars and trucks sold across the country in 2014, a 36-percent increase from 2010.
Other evidence of the growing number of female drivers can be found in IHS Automotive data showing that most of America's top-selling SUVs and crossovers, such as the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson and Buick Encore, are mostly registered by female buyers. Women also bought about half of compact SUVs sold last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said in the past that the Model S "is a little too guy-centric," and he recently said the new Model X would be a product of "paying more attention to the heads of women," The Washington Post reported.
The new SUV, Tesla's third all-electric vehicle in 12 years, is expected to have a range of between 170 and 230 miles, which will depend of its battery pack's size, and it will be able to charge in the driver's garage via a power source.
The only downside of the new vehicle is that its larger size will prevent it from going as far on a single charge as the Model S.
However, the Model X comes with "falcon wings" doors that fold upward and could be easier to open in a packed parking space. It can also use Tesla's free Supercharger network, which lets cars with an 85 kilowatt-hour battery charge in just over an hour at its 450 stations across the country.
The SUV is also aimed at fans of luxury crossovers, a market that Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and other automakers are jumping into, Business Insider reported.
Tesla is expected to start selling the Model X in September for $17,000, and the company said this week that 20,000 drivers have made reservations for the new car.
