Tesla: The Affordable Electric Car Is Coming, But Not Just Yet

In a very long and technical conference, Tesla disappointed and provided little information about its future entry-level model. Here’s what we can take away from it.

March 1 was supposed to be Tesla’s most important day in years. This “Investor Day” was indeed the moment to impress investors, but also the eager public wanting to know what’s brewing for the coming years. What the brand and its speakers did for three and a half hours, flooding attendees with explanations about how they design and manufacture not only the cars but also the components, software, factories, sustainable supply chain, and charging network.

But Mobiwisy only focuses on what matters to you: the affordable Tesla electric car that you’ll likely have in your hands. Or which will drive you. Without an official name, it’s sometimes called Model C, Model 2, or Model A.

Finally Autonomous Driving and a Fleet of Robotaxis

What Tesla has been promising for a long time is the autonomous car. Despite an onboard Autopilot system, the current Model 3 and Y cannot go beyond level 2 semi-autonomous driving. That is, a very reliable adaptive cruise control, but no truly autonomous capabilities allowing the driver to let go of the wheel.

Referencing the AI Day presentations, Tesla once again demonstrates how cars learn their environment via the current fleet, trajectory prediction, and behavior modeling, not to forget the computer that calculates all this. With its latest version of Full Self-Driving (FSD), which corresponds to Level 3 to 4 driving capability, the manufacturer promises 6 to 7 times fewer accidents than human drivers.

Elon Musk adds that the artificial intelligence used to make the right decisions is the same as on his Optimus androids. “Tesla cars are robots on wheels, while Optimus is a robot on legs” states the Tesla CEO. A specific car, a “Robotaxi” or “Robovan”, will exemplify the autonomous vehicle par excellence, with no precise date. And the Model C should also benefit from this technology.

So, what does this new Tesla look like?

By analyzing the various statements from Tesla representatives, it appears that the manufacturing processes will determine the price of the upcoming Model 2. The only reliable information is that designer Franz von Holzhausen said we will learn more “later this year”. Whether a compact sedan similar to the Volkswagen ID.3 or a compact SUV, we still don’t know what to expect.

We’ll spare you the technical details, but remember that Tesla is also pushing the development of its components internally. For its upcoming car, the American brand focused on these two points:

• An in-house more efficient motor, easy to assemble and without rare earth metals;
• A simplified electronic architecture in 48V, entirely designed in-house.

What price can we expect and when is the launch?

The factory in Mexico will be the one manufacturing this entry-level electric car. Less complex to produce, the Tesla Model C will thus be significantly cheaper than the Model 3. Recall that the family sedan currently starts at €44,990 in France. No miracles here; the $25,000 promised by Musk in 2020, adjusted for inflation, will probably become €30,000. In Europe, you likely won’t see a price below €35,000.

As for the release of this Tesla Model A, let’s hope for 2024 at best, 2025 at worst. Because 2023 is too soon, with the year’s main focus being increasing the production scale of Model 3/Y and launching the Cybertruck.

Also read: Tesla Master Plan 3: What’s new in 2023, 2024, and 2025?