Tesla stated at this time that it stays on observe to supply and launch “extra reasonably priced fashions” within the first half of subsequent yr, but it surely shared no new particulars on once we may count on to listen to extra.
For a number of years now, Tesla has been teasing everybody with the promise of extra reasonably priced fashions.
Whereas the Tesla Mannequin 3 is fairly moderately priced, many have been ready for a promised $25,000 mannequin, which many had taken to calling the “Mannequin 2.”
Tesla was supposedly going to pursue a brand new revolutionary “unboxed” manufacturing technique to get prices down for the long run car, to allow this cheaper price.
Nevertheless, earlier this yr Tesla CEO Elon Musk refocused the corporate’s efforts on its recently-announced and a lot–delayed Robotaxi product and cancelled plans for a $25,000 car, as first reported by Reuters and denied by Musk. Reuters was later proven to be appropriate in its report.
However even after that, Tesla has continued to state that it’s pursuing “extra reasonably priced fashions,” with little further element out there.
In at this time’s earnings report, Tesla reiterated steerage stating that it nonetheless plans a extra reasonably priced mannequin within the coming months, however that it gained’t be almost as revolutionary as initially deliberate.
Right here’s the passage:
Plans for brand spanking new automobiles, together with extra reasonably priced fashions, stay on observe for begin of manufacturing within the first half of 2025. These automobiles will make the most of points of the subsequent era platform in addition to points of our present platforms and can have the ability to be produced on the identical manufacturing traces as our present car line-up.
This strategy will end in attaining much less value discount than beforehand anticipated however permits us to prudently develop our car volumes in a extra capex environment friendly method throughout unsure instances. This could assist us totally make the most of our present anticipated most capability of shut to 3 million automobiles, enabling greater than 50% progress over 2023 manufacturing earlier than investing in new manufacturing traces.
Our purpose-built Robotaxi product will proceed to pursue a revolutionary “unboxed” manufacturing technique.
This passage is definitely precisely the identical as what appeared in Tesla’s Q2 earnings, simply shifted ahead in time three months.
Elsewhere within the report, Tesla states that its “Subsequent Gen Platform” remains to be “In improvement,” for manufacturing in numerous areas all over the world. Tesla at present operates car manufacturing amenities in California, Texas, Shanghai and Berlin.
Electrek’s Take
If Tesla’s timeline is to be believed, this new mannequin is coming in lower than 8 months. Whereas it’s not unimaginable that an organization can develop a mannequin in secret and get it on the street inside 8 months of the general public studying about it, we’ve got by no means seen a brand new Tesla mannequin go from introduction to manufacturing anyplace close to that rapidly.
It’s rather more widespread for Tesla to maintain an enormous launch social gathering after which launch the car to the general public a few years later (typically with huge supply delays for sure specs or sure patrons).
Even refreshes normally have information leaked months upfront. We’ve seen a refreshed Mannequin Y driving round with what seems to be like a extra Mannequin 3 highland-like entrance finish, and just lately heard rumors that the Mannequin Y refresh goes into trial manufacturing in Shanghai this week.
That refresh possible wouldn’t make it into the market till early subsequent yr, particularly in North America, if manufacturing is beginning in Shanghai first.
It’s nearly sufficient to make us surprise – is this the “extra reasonably priced” mannequin that Tesla has been speaking about all this time? Only a refreshed Mannequin Y, maybe with course of enhancements that can allow Tesla to push the worth down some?
If that’s the case, that may be fairly disappointing. A refresh isn’t actually a brand new mannequin, and it’s unlikely to interrupt any new floor when it comes to turning into the lowest-priced Tesla ever (since we will’t think about they’d worth the Mannequin Y decrease than the Mannequin 3).
And in the event that they’re not speaking concerning the refresh, and certainly are speaking about an precise new mannequin – that simply provides one other product to Tesla’s mind-numbingly-crowded “subsequent yr,” the place Musk has acknowledged that the corporate will change the world in 6 – depend ’em, six – methods.
We definitely hope a brand new cheaper mannequin is coming, particularly as Tesla’s choices (minus the polarizing Cybertruck) have develop into just a little bit stale. It might assist drive extra EV adoption by reaching a brand new cheaper price level, might change perceptions of Tesla as a luxury-only car model, and will even herald new clients for Mannequin 3/Y who had beforehand been turned off by that notion of Teslas as being “too costly” (regardless of, e.g., fairly enticing lease offers).
And particularly, it stays disappointing that Musk has chosen to deal with a pie-in-the-sky Robotaxi (which won’t be out there “subsequent yr,” for the tenth-or-so yr he’s stated it is going to be), and numerous AI-buzzword nonsense, than what customers maintain asking for – a less expensive EV mannequin. Reiteration that Tesla is engaged on one is nice, however we’ll stay unconvinced till Tesla shares extra particulars.
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