Elon Musk on Twitter:
"Model 3, our smaller and lower cost sedan will start production in about 2 years. Fully operational Gigafactory needed."
He said sedan.
Anyway, even though *I* like sedans doesn't mean I need *everybody* to want a sedan, and I'm one of the first to hope they have a common skateboard upon which you could put anything: van, SUV, sedan, hatchback, pickup truck, flatbed, etc. Tesla could offer a couple dozen fronts, middles and rears for mixing and matching. Perhaps they could even have options in the length and width of the vehicle, as well as sliders for how the various sections match up to that, and that would modify the battery options available. Tesla would specify the constraints, and turn it into the appropriate subquantity of selectable items to make it raise to economy of scale, safety, government compliance, and financial viability (as a product to sell to buyers).
Edit: At some point, monetarily middle and poor people who want something like a Tesla Model S will just buy a Tesla Model S, used, for way less money than new, but that point is about 10 years after they first came out, so 2022. Yes, we're waiting for 2022, with a ramp up into 2023 to 2026. Ugh.
Edit 2: A lot of people hate the weirdmobile aspect of the Insight, Prius, and Leaf. I personally DETEST the ugliness of the Insight and Prius, and would never get in one because of that. But I found the Leaf shape pleasing, but since it failed crash safety tests, I have programmed myself not to expect that shape in any vehicle I end up buying. I would NEVER BUY an ugly vehicle; if Model 3 sacrifices looks for cost, I would not get it. I like the look of boxy Volvo's, stylish Mercedes, and other box-like and rounded-like shapes (I love many of the very shapely vehicles of classical nature, before the awful 1970s). I absolutely hate the look of minivans, and those who drive them, too; I'd rather have a full van, truck, or SUV. There are a million beautiful shapes, and a thousand butt-ugly ones; it seems every car made 1970-1990 was BUTT UGLY, except for Volvo. There's lots of aerodynamic light weight low cost shapes to choose from, and lots of butt ugly ones, too. Don't turn it into a tird. Tirds are aerodynamic. Doesn't mean to do it.
I think I hate minivans, Insights and Prius's because they look like tirds, or neanderthals -- stupid and/or crap. But I also hated every car ever made 1970-1990 except a few I can count on one hand, so it's an aesthetics thing. By the way, not everyone agrees with me, but most people with good eyeballs do, so it shouldn't be hard to figure out pleasing shapes of any potential Model 3.
I can't answer the poll here because I don't care. I looked at Audi Avant & Volvo V40 and think they're ugly (they look like tirds), but I had a 1982 Volvo stationwagon and I liked it, and both of those are supposedly the same category, but I would not buy one and already did buy the other. I would not get a Honda Insight but I would get a Model S at 1/7th its price new (ala my MB), and both of those are supposedly the same category. I would not get a minivan but I would get a van or SUV, and both of those are supposedly the same category. To me looks matters more than category.
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