Plans for the new eagerly-awaited Tesla Model 2 have been scrapped while the electric car company shifts its focus to the new Robotaxi.
The Model 2, which was to be built with a similar design to the Model 3 for a more budget price range, will not be included in Tesla’s fleet as the company puts all of its attention into improving its current models.
Tesla Model 2 ‘pointless’ according to Musk
According to CEO Elon Musk, the future is driverless. ‘I think we’ve made it very clear that the future is autonomous,’ he said at a shareholders meeting. ‘I think having a regular $25 thousand model is pointless. It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe.’
The hypothetically named ‘Model 2’, due to its smaller likeness to the Model 3, was expected to be a budget, less-frills, and more compact version. Tesla even shared a teaser image of the Model 2 at its annual shareholder meeting last year, showcasing the future car’s curved roofline that adhered to the familiar design language found on the Model 3 and Model Y.
Tesla Robotaxi will be the new ‘affordable’ choice
The Robotaxi will now take pride of place as Tesla’s affordable small vehicle, however. It should arrive around the same time as the anticipated Model 2, although it’s not always a good idea to take Musk’s word as gospel. He also recently claimed a future Tesla model would fly, something quickly dispelled by Tesla investor Peter Thiel.
At around $30,000 (€27,000), the Robotaxi will also sit in roughly the same price bracket as the now-defunct Model 2. While the eternal wait for the new Tesla Roadster continues without apparent end, more focus is being put into the driverless taxi and updating and ironing out issues with existing models.
