Tesla Working On A Mini Car, What Does That Mean?

Elon's heroin-fueled dementia is getting the best of him.

Smoke and mirror cloud cover for the more pressing issues at hand and tightening noose neck tie Elon is sporting.

It means more hype in an effort to snag more cash before its too late.

Maybe a go kart? Not quite sure. Was hoping it would be like a Mini or Smart car sized Tesla that everyone can afford, but likely it is a bigger version of what you see in the photo.

hehe i assume its for musk's mini-me clone.

That would be hilarious

What does it mean?
- More hype
- A release date that doesn't happen until much later
- Production numbers at a target date, which they'll miss
- Typically poor fit and finish
- Tesla fans who adore it, unconditionally

Sometimes I wonder if Tesla announces new vehicles just as a way of getting an influx of desperately-needed cash in the form of deposits, thereby delaying the inevitable tapping of capital markets by a few months.

I wonder the same thing about the constant barrage of additional vehicles. They'll take cash to get to market, and right now cash is a critical factor. The gross margin isn't covering all these expenses; ergo no profit.

I'd have done the Model S, then done a very conventional Model X (that didn't have the parakeet doors and the ungainly proportions of a minivan), a Model C (luxury coupe), and a Model P (pickup) as different hats on the Model S platform.

To jump to an affordable EV before being on solid ground as a company was terrible. The Model S sells acceptably in the luxury/premium segment and I would have maximized my profits by creating additional luxury products.

The Model 3 should have been a crossover not a sedan.

The crossover version is coming... at least I think it will be more of a crossover than SUV, not quite sure. ~March they'll show the Model Y and it will probably start production sometime in 2020. Model 3 could be very profitable, we'll see.

No one has mentioned it - YET - but they have already SAID that they cannot make a profit from the Base Model 3 at $35,000. How can they profitably make a small car? THey certainly cannot eliminate things from the Dashboard.

But what remains the biggest immediate problem is that if OTHER manufacturers (Other than GM or Nissan) actually make a small car - theirs will have the price advantage of a full $7500 tax break. At small car prices - $7500 is a BIG incentive not to buy a TEsla. What can Tesla offer to make up that difference - they do not have the money to take a loss on the product.

"Small" compact car is ~5 years out, costs of batteries and motors will drop by then. If they cut 3-6 inches of width and a foot of length and drop 500 lbs or so, they should be able to get 200+ miles from a 40 kWh battery. They might be able to get the base down to $30k or so, which would be inline with the Audi A3, A-class, ILX, etc.

They could also make a more narrow version of the 3, reuse most of the parts and powertrain, make it a 4 seater and call it a day.