Tesla is planning a compact hatchback based on the Model 3 to be built and sold in Europe, according to a report from Autocar.
Details are thin, but it seems to line up with recent statements from Musk that Tesla needs a more affordable option.
“We will not succeed in our mission if we don’t make cars affordable.,” Musk said on Tesla’s most recent investors call. “The thing that bugs me the most about where we are right now is that our cars aren’t affordable enough. We need to fix that.”
Musk added that “it would be reasonable to assume that we would make a compact vehicle of some kind.”
Autocar reported that the Model 3 hatchback will be built at Giga Berlin, which Tesla expects to be operational next year.
Smaller cars, such as a possible Model 3 hatchback, are more practical and preferred in markets like Europe and China. It certainly makes sense for Tesla to be aggressive in targeting those consumers.
Making Tesla’s vehicles more accessible to the masses is an exciting development, but there are still questions about the form of the this new compact and its powertrain.
What would you like to see in a Tesla compact?