It’s time for a cheaper/smaller car in Asia and Europe … it’s that simple.
Current offerings are great but not so much for countries that need compact cars …
I’m really hoping for that announcement on the 1st but not holding my breath.
Whatever it is, it sounds like a major deal so let’s hope the hype does not outweigh the actual announcement , unfortunately with tesla, that is often the case.
Regardless, I remain long
While I agree, this event might not be the right time to reveal a new compact car.
One factor is time, and the length of the presentation., For Master Plan 3, and Gen3 there is likely a lot of information to cover. Some update on Cybertruck and HW4 would be handy.
Reveal a new car at the same time, and the event could drag on too long, or everything needs to be rushed.
The other factor is the new vehicle might detract from the Master Plan 3 message, or the Master Plan 3 message might detract from the new vehicle.
And they probably need new factories to build the new vehicle.
An alternative approach is build new factories, produce some "alpha builds" and do a reveal based on a "dressed up" version of an alpha build.
That is probably a cheaper way to build a vehicle for a reveal, and a small number of the new vehicles can be hidden inside the new factory until it is time for the reveal. The reveal event can be held at the factory where the vehicle is being made, and a tour of the line can even be organised. The new model can be ordered straight after the reveal event, because volume production is not that far away, and pricing is locked in.
The only ones who benefit from knowing what Tesla will be producing in 2-3 years time are the competition. Anyone wanting a new entry level EV isn't likely to wait 2-3 years for a Tesla.
A vehicle might be revealed, but it isn't essential. A reveal doesn't necessarily shorten the timeframe for volume production.