Tesla’s next-generation small electric car one step closer

Tesla has reiterated plans for a smaller, next-generation vehicle that will cost half as much to build as a Model 3 sedan. But photos of its design – and updated details of prices and arrival dates – are yet to be revealed.

US electric-car giant Tesla has reiterated plans for a smaller mass-produced car than today’s Model 3 and Model Y – which will cost half as much to build – at an event in the US this morning, Australian time.

However, contrary to expectations from investors, Tesla did not share any new details on what the car would look like, how much it would cost, or when it is due in showrooms.

“I’d love to show you what I mean, and unveil the next-generation car, but you’re going to have to trust me on that until a later date,” Tesla design boss Franz von Holzhausen told investors and media today.

“I promise, we will always be delivering exciting, compelling and desirable vehicles, as we always have.”

Digital artist Avarvarii has imagined what a small Tesla – suspected to be named the Model 2 – could look like (top and throughout).

Underpinned by Tesla’s “generation three platform”, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously said the new vehicle will be smaller than the current Toyota Camry-sized Model 3.

The company said in 2020 it aimed to introduce a vehicle priced from $US25,000 ($AU37,000) in “three years from now” – but the company is yet to confirm if it remains on track for this figure with its next-generation vehicle.

If this price remains on track, it would make the new car significantly cheaper than today’s mid-size Tesla Model 3 sedan, which is priced from $US42,990 ($AU61,500) in the US, or $64,300 plus on-road costs in Australia.

It’s unclear when the new model will be unveiled, however the wording of today’s announcement suggests it is multiple years away from showrooms.

Tesla claims the next-generation car will cost half as much to build as the Model 3, by rethinking the way it is built to reduce complexity and the number of steps needed.

Rather than assembling the body of a car first – and inserting the interior and batteries further down the production line – Tesla says sections of the vehicle (the sides, front, rear and interior) will be put together as complete assemblies first, before bringing them together to finish the vehicle.

Tesla says its next-generation car will debut a new electric motor with no rare-earth metals, and will use 100 per cent Tesla-designed electrical controllers.

Plans shown to investors today show Tesla is planning two more models to complement its current line-up – set to expand imminently with the Semi heavy truck, and Cybertruck pick-up.

The presentation slide shown on stage includes what appears to be a smaller, cheaper car – a type of vehicle Tesla expects 700 million examples of to be sold globally once all new vehicles are electric.

It is unclear how many examples of Tesla’s small car the company aims to sell, however CEO Elon Musk has previously predicted it would outsell all other Tesla cars combined.

The new vehicle is may employ the company’s in-house-designed ‘4680’ battery technology, which were claimed in 2020 to deliver five times the energy and six times the power of previous battery cells, while being 14 per cent cheaper.

Above and top: What the new small car could look like, imagined by @avarvarii.

The 4680 cells – named for their dimensions (46mm diameter, 80mm tall) – are likely to be fitted to the vehicle in a ‘structural pack’, which is claimed to save weight and cost.

Whereas in most electric cars the battery cells are assembled into modules – which are then bundled into a pack mounted to the vehicle’s chassis, – the structural pack design skips the modules, instead using the battery in the core structure of the car.

Alongside details of the next-generation vehicle, Tesla has detailed the company’s new-model plans and future technologies for the next decade and beyond. Stay tuned to Drive for an in-depth report on these announcements shortly.

The post Tesla’s next-generation small electric car one step closer appeared first on Drive.

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