Tesla critics don't dampen enthusiasm for Model X in Bethesda (Photos)

A recent fatal Tesla crash is being blamed by many on the company's Autopilot feature, and production of the luxury electric vehicles has failed to meet targets. But the media noise hasn't deterred Tesla fans and prospective owners in Bethesda. The company's new gull-wing Model X crossover has had such a crowd around it at the Tesla store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, it's taken me a few weeks to get these clear photos for you.

Want a safe SUV with zero emissions that goes from zero to 60 in only 3.2 seconds? The Model X is the car for you. If you're tired of dealing with undersized parking spaces and rude parkers in Bethesda, you'll appreciate the 1-foot clearance Falcon doors that open upwards in tight urban spaces. An "invisible chauffeur" feature opens the doors for you as you approach the vehicle. It also appears the high-end center console display comes standard with the leading source for Bethesda news, as you can see in these photos.

As far as the critics, the sniping is understandable. The future of autonomous vehicles scares the hell out of control freaks and big government types who aspire to ban private auto ownership, and force you to rely on super-reliable public systems like...Metro. Yeah, OK.

Those folks are monitoring the development of autonomous technology, and their plan goes something like this: attack the technology when deployed in private vehicles like Tesla, but hedge their bets, and be prepared to embrace it if it can be restricted to public fleets. The latter is the pipe dream for those whose hats are made of tinfoil.

Ultimately, autonomous vehicles will make public buses and rail obsolete either way. But automakers like Tesla - and expected competitors like Apple and Google - are likely to scale the costs to an affordable level before government can find the doorknob to get out of the smoke-filled back room. Highways won't be obsolete, as they've predicted, but more sophisticated than ever in carrying zero-emission autonomous vehicles.

For all the talk about the Tesla-truck crash, the investigation is far from complete, and there's been much speculation by the same folks who are quick to jump on Uber and Lyft, which terrify them as well. In fact, the media was quick to blame a Pennsylvania Model X collision this week on Autopilot, and then was forced to retract that charge, when it turned out their amateur analysis misdiagnosed the cause.

Talk of cracking down on the Autopilot feature is similar to those who believe government can legislate common sense into the minds of people without it. If you're over the age of 12 and don't know to check both directions before crossing the street, there's no government in the world that can help you.

I don't even own a Tesla, and I fully understand the Autopilot system, and the clear instructions Tesla gave drivers on using it in this Beta format (it says Beta right on the damn screen). It has limited functions, and is an assistive technology. The driver is required to be ready to retake control immediately at any moment.

If you don't follow the instructions, you can't blame the company. It may be entertaining and impressive to watch daredevils push the Autopilot feature (which is more capable than even Tesla likes to emphasize, for safety and liability reasons) to its limits on YouTube, but those folks are breaking the rules and are responsible if they get in a wreck.

The Model X delivers this cutting-edge technology in a format ideal for urban environments, while allowing you to make a Doc Brown entrance while toting the kids on errands.