Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. Legacy Archives

A prototype of Tesla’s Model X crossover was caught testing in a former naval yard

Add as a preferred source on Google

Tesla’s Model X is long overdue, but at the very least, it looks like the EV automaker is hard at work putting the final touches on the electric crossover. Thanks to a new video posted on YouTube, we have a small idea of just how far along the project seems to be, as well as what it looks like on the move.

Captured by an amateur videographer in Alameda, CA, the camo’d Model X can be seen doing certain dynamic test runs in an area that used to be a naval air station. The lucky filmmaker happened to be at a nearby skate park where he discovered the test taking place, whereupon he grabbed footage of it in action on his iPhone.

Recommended Videos

The best camera is the one you have with you, as the saying goes.

We don’t know what exactly is being tested here, but we can see the vehicle testing out some hard braking performance and doing some tight loops in the open area, silent save for the tires squealing under the pressure. Nothing of the video shows any chase car or Tesla team members capturing data of some kind, but we can’t even be sure the Model X was there for very long. Indeed, from the video, it seems like the Model X quickly flees the scene, probably aware that this test was bound to garner some attention.

Tesla Model X
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tesla’s delay of the vehicle is an unusual misstep for the fledgling company. As this is Tesla’s second original vehicle, fans and critics alike are eager to see if this sophomore endeavor will be as successful as the Model S sedan.

Currently, the all-wheel drive electric crossover is delayed until the third quarter of this year, with the first of its run already reserved by eager pre-order customers.

Alexander Kalogianni
Former Automotive Editor
Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…
Topics
Tesla’s arch rival has already won at charging tech. Now, it’s testing a self-driving breakthrough
Transportation, Vehicle, Car

BYD has made no secret of its ambition to build more of its own technology. That includes everything from batteries to electric motors, and now even the AI chips that power advanced driver assistance systems. But despite all that momentum, the company’s latest move suggests it’s not ready to cut ties with outside chipmakers just yet. Instead, BYD appears to be taking the practical route.

A smart detour before the destination

Read more
Polestar forced to exit the US market. It’s a shame we won’t see its refined design anymore
Boring EVs caught a break as Americans lose Polestar
polestar-3-ev

Polestar, the Swedish EV brand controlled by China’s Geely, has been denied authorization under the US Connected Vehicle Rule. As a result, it will not be able to sell vehicles in the US from the 2027 model year onward. The company is not disappearing from American roads overnight. Polestar says it will continue selling existing US inventory of the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, and current owners will still have access to service support. But for future models, the door is effectively closing unless something changes.

Polestar 3

Read more
The Wild West era of robotaxis is starting to end
New global rules could replace patchwork regulation with stricter safety proof for driverless fleets.
Self driving car from Waymo

Robotaxi rules have entered their first global phase. A UN vehicle standards forum has adopted the first international framework for fully autonomous vehicles, giving driverless fleets a common safety baseline across major markets.

The move lands while robotaxis are expanding from test programs into a bigger commercial race. In the US and China, private fleets more than doubled in 2025 to 8,000 vehicles across more than two dozen major cities.

Read more