Tesla has long hinted at the arrival of a compact hatchback that will be added to the Model 3 in the range. The Chinese Tesla factory already seems to be prepared for this.
In China, documents have surfaced by Sino Motors and shared on platform Weibo that seem to make it clear that Tesla is going to build a new model there. Our Chinese is a bit rusty, but it is claimed that these documents, addressed to the Gigafactory in Shanghai, mention a new Tesla. It is said to have to cost at least about € 20,000 there. It is therefore not the Roadster anyway, the ‘compact hatchback’ is the only one that meets that criterion. It is reported that the writing is aimed at a production start in 2022.
At the end of last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk released a bit more about a more affordable Tesla. He described this somewhat cryptically, but made it clear that he thinks it is ‘an interesting idea’, certainly also for the European market. Musk referred to the often relatively tight parking spaces in European cities. Although there is now a cautious sign of life coming from China, it cannot be ruled out that the more compact Tesla will also be built in Europe. In the Gigafactory in Berlin, there should also be enough space for another model and then of course you can build close to the sales location.