Is the Tesla Model 2 coming? The American brand has warned its suppliers that it would like to launch production of a new model in mid-2025, four sources close to the matter told Reuters, two of them presenting this model as a “small crossover.”
a long wait
Enough to resurface rumors about the next Tesla model, of which we do not know if it will really carry the name “Model 2”, a name that has never been officially used by the brand.
In 2020, Elon Musk mentioned the project of a model starting at $25,000. Since then, everyone has been waiting for an announcement on this topic, especially considering the great success achieved by the Model 3 and Model Y. Last October, Elon Musk spoke of a “low-cost vehicle with large volumes of production”, without committing to a marketing date.
A “cool” and “pretty” model, but above all it will be pragmatic enough “to transport you from point A to point B” with a simplified design to reduce production costs as much as possible. This model would be based on the new platform designed by Tesla, like a robotaxi that has also been expected for some time.
A small Model Y?
The choice of a “small crossover” or a reduced Model Y would be quite logical. If until now we had imagined a small sedan, this format seemed less suitable for the American market, which of course remains fundamental for Tesla.
Enough to respond to increasingly fierce competition, particularly from Chinese brands. If Tesla remained the world leader last year, BYD doubled it in the last quarter, a first warning.
A Honda Civic as a guinea pig
To study how to design an affordable vehicle, Tesla would have taken a Honda Civic as a guinea pig, Reuters notes, specifying that this model currently costs from $23,950 in the United States.
A common practice in the automotive industry: dismantling a competing model to discover its manufacturing secrets and find your own optimized cost equation.
To produce its affordable model, Tesla would have the option of its Berlin factory, an option mentioned by Elon Musk himself last year, or the one planned in Mexico. Reuters also mentions a factory project in India, precisely with the aim of reducing production costs.
A new code name: Redwood
After the improved Model 3, nicknamed “Highland” before its presentation by Tesla, and the Model Y, which should undergo the same evolution this year with the code name “Juniper”, Reuters specifies that this future model is currently internally called Redwood . Enough to reinforce the confidential nature of this project that would have become the American manufacturer’s priority.
Source: BFM TV
