According to the very serious Reuters, Tesla would have simply canceled the Model 2, the electric car costing less than $25,000. But everything is not yet very clear, as a message on X (ex-Twitter) from Elon Musk suggests.
As relayed by our colleagues from Numerama, Tesla would have abandoned the project of an affordable electric car, at less than $25,000. The famous (but hypothetical) Tesla Model 2. Information that comes straight from Reuters, which cites anonymous employees of the American manufacturer. The media could also have accessed internal Tesla emails.
The Tesla Model 2 becomes the Robotaxi
In his discussions, we could read that Tesla would abandon the affordable electric car, to focus on the Robotaxi. It is a 100% autonomous electric car, allowing passengers to be taken from point A to point B without any human intervention on the steering wheel or pedals.
Is this information true? For the moment, Tesla refuses to comment on this rumor. On X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk posted a message stating “ Reuters is dying » with the media’s audience figures falling. But above all, he commented an investor’s messagewho attempted an analysis of the situation.
Elon Musk speaks (or almost)
There response from Elon Musk, a simple eyes emoji (👀) can raise more questions than provide answers. In essence, the investor believes that Tesla and Elon Musk would be so enchanted by the autonomous driving performance of FSD (Full Self-Driving) that they would have abandoned the Model 2 which drives in a more conventional manner.
Instead, we would have a single electric car, the Robotaxi, which drives itself. But the two electric cars had to share the same platform, in order to reduce costs.
It is therefore possible that Tesla will market a $25,000 electric car. But it would not be a classic electric car. Instead, we would have an autonomous car. Or a car that has the ability to be self-driving with a multi-thousand dollar option? As is currently the case with Full Self-Driving.
We will now have to wait for a speech from Tesla or Elon Musk to find out more. Especially since the Tesla Model 2 was expected like the white wolf, with an official arrival planned for 2025.
The decision would have been taken to be more competitive with Chinese manufacturers (and in particular BYD). But it is difficult to see how to be competitive with a 100% autonomous car which would not have the right to drive legally on all the roads on the planet.