Tesla is redoubling its efforts to establish itself as the world’s leading electric vehicle brand in the face of fierce competition from established manufacturers, especially in Europe, after having achieved the most successful sales quarter in its 13-year history.
The introduction, in the coming years, of the long-talked about affordable small electric sedan will be crucial for the continued success of the American company, to compete with leaders in this segment, such as the Volkswagen ID 3, the Nissan Leaf and the Kia e-Niro.
Scheduled to go on sale in 2023, the new Tesla sedan will mark the company’s historic turn from the premium electric vehicle sector to more accessible territory, building on the gigantic success of its Model 3 compact sedan in Europe, where it consistently ranks among the best – selling electric cars. A starting price in the US of around $ 25,000 has been suggested, which translates to less than £ 18,000 – but Tesla’s models generally cost slightly more outside its home country, so a sale price of around £ 20,000 is more likely. That would make it by far the cheapest model on the brand, with even the more affordable variant of Model 3 priced at £ 40,990.
Such a price change will be made possible by a new type of battery technology developed by Tesla, which claims to reduce manufacturing costs by 50% compared to current methods, while delivering five times the power and up to 16 % more autonomy per charge. .
The technology was first detailed in a high-profile announcement on Tesla Battery Day last year, in which CEO Elon Musk said, “One of the things that bothers me the most is is that we don’t have a really affordable car, and that’s something we’ll have in the future, and for that we need cheaper batteries.
Mass production of the newly designed battery packs will become possible as early as next year, Tesla said, and because they remove the standard “tab” format from today’s conventionally produced items, they could cost too. little as £ 77 per kWh to produce – significantly less than current rates.
As a result, the new entry-level car is expected to offer a very competitive lineup, on par with the electric cars from several segments above. Musk has repeatedly stated that a range of less than 250 miles, even on the notoriously strict EPA cycle, would not meet the “Tesla standard of excellence” and is “unacceptably low.” Tesla even went so far as to remove the Standard Range version of the Model Y crossover as a result.
It remains to be seen whether Tesla will offer the hatchback with a battery capacity of less than 50 kWh (its smallest output cell to date), but a shorter-range variant could provide Tesla with a market entry point. increasingly competitive urban mobility. A high-end long-range version, on the other hand, could match the 352-mile WLTP range of the larger-battery Model 3.
Tesla has so far left out the final form and precise name of the model, referring only to an upcoming “future product” that is in development to follow the semi-truck, Cybertruck pickup and the Roadster sports car. But chances are it looks a lot like Model 3 and should take the Model 2 name as a nod to its entry-level positioning.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-27 23:01:22
