During the presentation of results for the third quarter, which we detail in a separate article, Elon Musk surprised everyone with the announcement of the development of a new platform. A smaller architecture that will be the third after those of the Model S/X and Model 3/Y, and that will stand out for having a production cost 50% lower than the current ones.
Musk’s statements were made during a question-and-answer session between Tesla executives and a group of investors.
During it, the head of Tesla indicated that ” although there are no exact dates for the launch yet, this is the main focus of the new vehicle development team .”
Musk has also added that Tesla’s next-generation model would be produced in volumes that will dwarf Model 3 and Model Y. Models that represent 95% of the company’s total deliveries and that until September 30 have accumulated a total of 930,000 units delivered worldwide.
Tesla has high hopes that the third platform will allow a huge leap forward in production capacity and sales, and according to Musk himself, this new model will single-handedly outperform all other Tesla vehicles combined. Therefore, we are talking about a capacity of between 1 and 2 million units per year only with this proposal.
o achieve this, Tesla is aiming for a more popular priced model. According to Musk, ” it will cost the same to build two units of the next-generation model as it currently costs to build a single Model 3 ” Something that directly transfers this proportion to the price would mean approaching the goal of ” Tesla of 25,000 euros “.
Of course, just because the car costs half as much to make doesn’t automatically mean it’s half the selling price. But this announcement undoubtedly opens the doors to the arrival of a much more earthly proposal economically that aims to solidify Tesla’s sales quota in the face of the increasingly intense push of Chinese manufacturers, who are beginning their international expansion, something that It will allow them to increase their economies of scale and reduce prices.
The big question, besides how much, will be when. Quite possibly, the supply crisis will have to end, which will have to be accompanied by a significant increase in battery production. Two aspects that will not be easy for us to see solved before two or three years, which leads us to an approximate time plan of a presentation and opening of orders in 2024, and then first deliveries between 2025 and 2026.
