With the Model 3 and more recently the Model Y, Tesla has translated the success of the Model S into lower chipsets. This of course tastes like more. There have been rumors for years about the arrival of an inferior Model 3 that Tesla ‘Model 2’ may have now Tesla itself has shown design drawings.
In a live broadcast from Tesla about the opening of its new development center in California, Tesla shows a few seconds of footage in which a set of schematic drawings can be seen. In the shot, there are various design drawings on a drawing table, but what can be seen in those drawings is of course more interesting. We see a relatively small crossover that, given the short overhangs and wheelbase, looks a lot smaller than, say, the Model 3 and Model Y. Yes, these could be sketches of the Model Y, but we’re not going to who. One of the half-covered pieces of paper shows a design sketch that Tesla used some time ago to illustrate a smaller model. The graphics around it seem to show the same non-existent form.
We’ve seen the graphic where the red arrow is pointing from before.
When will the smaller Tesla arrive? That is still the question. At the beginning of 2022, Tesla indicated that it was not yet working on a more compact model at that time, but that of course could be different a year later. What can be expected from the range of the new Tesla car, which is still not officially known? Rely on different motors and more than one battery pack, but don’t be surprised if the base version already gets around 400 km. With Tesla’s knowledge, electric lung capacity, among other things, is combined with electric motors that offer impressive acceleration times, but it’s not clear that the focus is on that.
Perhaps the arrival of the smaller Tesla will depend on whether Tesla will be able to keep the model affordable. If that happens, the model will undoubtedly be widely used to reduce costs. Tesla may also build the car at its Gigafactory in Shanghai, China. It remains to be seen if the little Tesla will be called “Model 2”. In terms of location, this seems to work quite well, but of course the number “2” doesn’t fit CEO Elon Musk’s long-running “joke” to have his car model names spell out “SEXY” (S3XY). On the other hand: “2S3XY” – or “very hot” is of course a possibility too. It still all looks like leftover coffee, but Tesla’s mini-car is also pretty interesting. Not only because a whole host of compact electric cars will arrive in the coming years, including those from the Volkswagen Group. Competitors certainly aren’t sitting still, so Tesla has to do something.