Elon Musk announced that Tesla is coming out with ‘something cooler than a minivan’ when pressed by fans for a vehicle with more passenger capacity.
However, we should temper our expectations as Tesla is greatly limiting new vehicle programs amid its transition into a ‘transportation as a service’ company.
Not long ago, Tesla had 4 successful passenger vehicle programs and it was planning to release many more. Those days are gone. Now, Tesla has 3 vehicle programs and they are all in decline. It is a self-inflicted wound as Tesla focused its effort on autonomous driving and saw a lesser need for personally-onwed vehicles amid a rise in autonomous ride-hailing service, which is coming much slower than CEO Elon Musk anticipated.
The Long-Awaited Tesla Minivan
Tesla has been thinking about producing an electric van or minibus for a decade now.
In the “Tesla Master Plan Part 2,” Musk talked about two new segments Tesla is looking to electrify:
In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport. Both are in the early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year. We believe the Tesla Semi will deliver a substantial reduction in the cost of cargo transport, while increasing safety and making it really fun to operate.
Tesla did end up unveiling the Tesla Semi, the “heavy-duty truck,” which is now the Cybertruck, but it didn’t unveiled a vehicle for “high passenger-density urban transport.”
Musk has talked about Tesla making an electric minibus based on the Model X before, but it didn’t come to fruition.
There were talks about Tesla making a van-like passenger vehicle for Musk’s Boring Company, but as time went by, the tunnel-making startup has just used existing Tesla vehicles for its transit system.
Back in 2018, Musk also said that it would be interesting for Tesla to work with Mercedes-Benz on an electric version of their popular and versatile Sprinter van, but nothing came of the proposed partnership. Mercedes now sells its own eSprinter electric.
Musk says Tesla is coming with ‘something way cooler than a minivan’
This week, Musk boasted on X about how the Cybertruck can be used as a family vehicle because it can fit three child seats on the second row bench.
The idea received pushbacks as the Cybertruck is already polarizing vehicle and while it’s true that it can be used as such, it is hardly a family vehicle.
Someone suggested that Tesla should make a minivan and Musk responded:
“Something way cooler than a minivan is coming.”
The Tesla CEO didn’t elaborate on what that could be.
Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
