Elon Musk has revealed more details regarding the highly-anticipated entry-level Tesla hatchback, set to arrive in a couple of years
- Sits below Model 3 in lineup
- £25,000 starting price possible
- Not expected before 2025
The Tesla Model 3 was designed to be the electric car for the masses; however, with a starting price that’s crept up to almost £50,000, the American brand’s supposedly mass-market EV is still out of reach for most buyers. It’s not long, though, until the average car buyer will be able to get their hands on something from Elon Musk’s electric car marque, thanks to an all-new plug-in hatchback model that’s set to arrive in the next couple of years.
At this stage it’s unknown what Tesla’s next car will be called; the brand’s alphabetical naming system was disrupted when Ford deterred Tesla from utilising the ‘Model E’ nameplate for the Model 3. However, what we do know is that the new car will be a family electric hatchback, to rival the likes of the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born and even the MG4 EV.
Our exclusive images show what we expect the new car to look like. Taking inspiration from larger cars in the range, the new baby Tesla is likely to adopt the brand’s trademark minimalist styling, with swooping curves in the bodywork which will, no doubt, be formed in a wind tunnel to maximise efficiency.
In a recent earnings call, Elon Musk stated that the team at Tesla will “take everything [they] learned from [Models] S, X, 3 and Y, the Cybertruck and the Semi” when developing the upcoming entry point into the range. This involves an increasingly simplified production process and cheaper and easier-to-produce lithium-iron phosphate batteries.
Musk also confirmed rumours that engineers were aiming to make production costs half that of the Model 3. Given the baby Tesla would likely sell in even greater numbers than its already best-selling sibling, it’s perfectly feasible that the new car could have a base price of around £25,000. This would put it in direct competition with the MG4 EV as well as around £10,000 cheaper than a Volkswagen ID.3 – although, it remains to be seen whether this will be possible, as even in its home market, the Model 3 has since climbed significantly higher than its $35,000 base price when it originally debuted in the US.
Of course, the car is still a way off for now – Tesla has a reputation for taking a long time to put new models in production, namely the forthcoming Cybertruck and Tesla Roadster supercar which have faced repeated delays. We expect the car to make its debut sometime around 2025, which by that stage the EV market is forecast to have many other affordable options available, other than those from brands like MG.
Keyword: £25k Tesla electric hatchback set to rival the MG4