They already have the Model X, if they could cut costs on that with a new cheaper version of it (still keep the premium one), give it a solid refresh then probably there simplest way to take on this market.Food for thought:
-- Sales numbers aren't a perfect indication of demand. If Kia only made, or otherwise was only willing and able to sell 1,281 EV9's, how could we know if potential demand was higher than that?
-- What if the EV9 isn't exactly what people are looking for in a 3-row? Could Tesla do better?
-- Tesla's goal isn't to compete with other EV's, but with all vehicles. We should instead evaluate the market by looking at sales of all the other medium-sized 3-row crossover/SUV's (Honda Pilot/Passport, Toyota Highlander, etc) and the sales numbers for the big 3-row SUVs (Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon, Suburban, etc.), and maybe also think about all the vans and minivans on the road too.
With Tesla talking of building variants on their existing lines, I'd love to see not only smaller/cheaper versions (with my usual request for smaller wheels with higher-profile, non-performance tires), but also a bit roomier 3-row Y, and I'd also love to see a 3-row SUV or Van built on the Cybertruck platform. A CyberSUV or CyberVan that shares the entire front end with the existing truck and has modifications for more seating (and, of course, a roof and windows) in the back half would be amazing and seems like a no-brainer. GM/Chevy have been using that model for decades, and Rivian did it with their SUV/Truck....
Admittedly, I'm probably in a relatively small minority with 4 kids and a decent sized dog that goes most of the places we go, so I actually need room for 6+. We use our 7-seat Y for some trips, and we use the minivan when we need to haul more stuff along with us or just want to be a bit more spread out. The X would be hard to justify...but I'm also still hoping that a CyberVan/SUV would (eventually) come in closer to the original Cybertruck announced prices.
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