Tesla Motors is quietly pushing back production of the Model X SUV until late next year so it can focus on cranking out the gorgeous S sedan, which means hundreds of people who forked over $5,000 deposits won't see their falcon wing-doored electric mall runners until early 2015.

When Tesla unveiled the Model X a year ago, it said we'd see them rolling off the line later this year. It promised that deliveries of its "would "begin early 2014, with volumes targeted at 10,000 to 15,000 units per year." Those targeted production numbers remain the same, but the timeline does not. Tesla's SEC 10-K filingstates, "We revealed a prototype of Model X in February 2012 and plan to begin production in late 2014."

"We’ve been very focused on production and deliveries of Model S and will be pushing back production of Model X to late 2014," Tesla spokeswoman Shanna Hendriks told Wired.

The Tesla Model X, the third model in the automaker's lineup, will be a crossover based on the Model S sedan's architecture, complete with seating for seven, a massive hatchback and rear "falcon wing" doors that open vertically to allow easier access to the third row of seats. Tesla plans to offer the Model X with a choice of either a 60 or 85 kWh battery, although the lowest-spec 40 kWh battery available on the Model S won't be an option on the new crossover.

The SEC filing from Tesla states that, "Any significant delay in the design, manufacture and launch of Model X could materially damage our brand, business, prospects, financial condition and operating." However, Hendriks says, "We do not expect a material impact on our profitability in 2013 or 2014."

Tesla wouldn't comment on when Alpha and Beta testing of the Model X will begin, but with the new production dates, we should be seeing Model X development mules on the road in the coming months.