We won't know for sure what Tesla's final plans are until the company makes it all official. However, according to a report that cites several industry insiders who claim to have details on the matter, the next-gen Tesla model will be a small crossover.
It should come as no surprise to those who follow the space that Tesla may be planning a smaller and less expensive crossover to be the first vehicle to ride on its next-gen platform. When the Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling EV in the world, Tesla introduced the Model Y crossover, which is essentially just a larger and more practical crossover version of the Model 3 sedan. Now, the Model Y is Tesla's top seller, so why not offer a more attainable version of the crossover?
Tesla has already shared that it's working on a smaller, next-gen platform on which EVs will arrive that are much cheaper to produce than the Model 3 and Model Y. Clearly, they'll also be much cheaper to buy. The next-gen EVs will first come out of Tesla's upcoming Gigafactory in Mexico, which the automaker aims to build in record time.
While Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have mentioned a $25,000 EV and spoken in general about a new platform, cheaper products, etc., there has been little in the way of concrete information. Moreover, it seems every time the media believes it's aware of details, they change.
With that said, Teslarati just shed light on a recent report out of China that provides some details about the upcoming model and platform. The report, which was published by 36 Krypton, claims Tesla aims to produce 4 million units of the upcoming small crossover per year. The publication writes (translated from Chinese to English by Google Translate):
“The low-priced model is a smaller version of the Model Y. Tesla is working on building an annual production capacity of up to 4 million units for it."
As you are likely aware, the lines between car classifications have become quite blurred these days. Some people may not consider the Tesla Model Y an SUV, and there are folks that would argue against it even being called a crossover. Meanwhile, there are now various forms of hatchbacks and wagons for sale that are being marketed as crossovers and SUVs by some.
Tesla has had much success with the Model Y. It's the only model the US EV maker produces at all of its global factories, and even though SUVs are most popular in the US, it's selling well in most areas across the globe. The only major concern with the Tesla crossover is its high price tag, which Tesla recently lowered considerably. However, the Model Y still isn't affordable for the masses.
The publication's sources also shared that while Giga Mexico will produce about 2 million copies of the next-gen crossover per year, the remaining 2 million units will be split evenly between Giga Berlin and Giga Shanghai.
Finally, the report noted that it will be at least a year before plans for the smaller, next-gen Tesla crossover to come to fruition. This is because even if the automaker builds and opens Giga Mexico in record time, launching a new vehicle from the new factory a year from now would be highly optimistic.
