Tesla has already confirmed that it's working on a next-generation vehicle platform. It's expected to be used to produce EVs at half the cost of that of the popular Model 3 and Model Y. Thankfully, the company is supposed to fill us in with more details on that platform very soon, and it seems Tesla may have already teased it in a recent video.
Tesla has been making plenty of positive announcements of late. We just learned this week that the US EV maker will situate its global Engineering Headquarters in Palo Alto, California. When the automaker decided to open a new factory in Texas, it moved its primary headquarters to the Lone Star State, but it will expand its reach in California with the Engineering center.
Tesla's upcoming next-generation platform will aim to significantly increase mass production, exceeding the output of the brand's most popular current models. It's designed to make Tesla's EVs even more efficient to produce, thus reducing costs and making vehicles for the masses.
Since Tesla already has a major edge over other automakers when it comes to streamlining manufacturing processes and beefing up margins, the next-gen platform, if successful, could be a huge game-changer. CEO Elon Musk has already noted that the new platform means producing EVs at half the cost of the Model Y and Model 3.
To date, Tesla hasn't said much more about the future platform. However, it promised more details to come at its upcoming Investor Day on March 1, 2023. There's no way to know right now how much Tesla will share, but if the Investor Day is anything like other recent Tesla events, we shouldn't expect to learn very much, and there will likely be plenty of questions remaining even after the event.
There has also been talk over the years about a smaller and more affordable (~$25,000) Tesla compact car. Perhaps a sporty sedan that's smaller than the Model 3 or a hot hatchback of sorts. It was said that it would be designed, developed, and produced in China for global markets. According to Teslarati, Tesla China even posted some jobs over the years and revealed a mysterious image of a smaller hatchback, though nothing was ever mentioned about the car.
Now, that same vehicle has shown up in the video that the company debuted about its Engineering HQ in Palo Alto. To be clear, the video is not about Tesla China or the new platform or a more affordable Tesla EV. Instead, it sheds light on the company's design and engineering work, in general. The video is 22 minutes long, and the juicy stuff only appears very briefly, about halfway through. Get your pause button ready ...
There are sketches of multiple Tesla vehicles, though a few seem to be future models, and the smaller hatchback appears to be present. Teslarati also points our attention to a sketch of the hatchback in the video, though it's somewhat covered. We encourage you to watch the whole video, but pay particular (hit your pause button) at 11:38.
We've captured an image of the sketch for you, just in case you didn't see them, or couldn't pause the video in time. The silver model on the far left is clearly the same as the Tesla China image above. Meanwhile, the white and blue models to the lower right appear to be new designs that may be smaller than the Model 3 and Model Y. Leave us your thoughts in the comment section.
