Tesla's Model X cars hit the road Wednesday, with 32,000 orders for the world's first all-electric SUV on the general auto market already in for the US carmaker.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the basic version of the car cost about $5,000 (4,440 euros) more than the Model S sedan starting at $70,000. But the fully-loaded version will set buyers back by $142,000.

The new electric SUV is expected to expand Tesla's potential customer base from the relatively small luxury sedan market to the much larger sport-utility vehicle sector.

New prospects

"Tesla finally has a family car," analyst Don Dolev told the "Los Angeles Times." It will be able to seat seven people comfortably, and boasts a range of up to 250 miles (400 km).

The niftiest feature of the Model X may be its double-hinged falcon-wing doors, which need less than a foot of clearance to open and are fitted with sensors so they won't trap hands or hit adjacent parked cars.

Tesla was founded back in 2003, and sales of its first car, the Roadster, began in 2008. While enjoying increasing revenues, the company has yet to post an annual profit - because its management remains focused on investing in new-model development and greater production capacity, in excess of incoming revenues.

In 2014, Tesla reported a net loss of $249 million, and the company was in the red by more than $308 million for the most recent quarter ending June 2015.

hg/nz (AFP, dpa, AP)