Skip advert
Advertisement

Tesla plans for ‘more affordable models’ before summer

New vehicles are set to use Tesla’s next-generation platform with production line costs cut

Tesla logo badge

While it remains one of the most popular EV manufacturers in the world, Tesla’s sales fell by four per cent last year from 1.81 million in 2023 to 1.79m. The Model 3 saloon and Model Y SUV accounted for 95 per cent of those deliveries in 2024, but there could soon be more offerings to bolster sales. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

At January’s 2025 investor update, Tesla hinted at further models being added to the line-up, stating, “Plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025.”

We haven’t seen any of these new vehicles testing, but the new cars will have a massive role to play in expanding Tesla’s sales – the company said they’ll enable “more than 60 per cent growth over 2024 production”, and that’s based on Tesla existing production capabilities. A target of producing nearly three million vehicles each year has been proposed by the American company.

There are no technical details on the new Tesla vehicles, despite their supposedly imminent arrival, but the firm did say, “These vehicles will utilize aspects of the next-generation platform, as well as aspects of our current platforms, and will be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle line-up.” This could mean we’ll see electric motors and the general underpinnings from Tesla’s newest cars – the Model 3 and Model Y – used for the new cars. 

Where they will sit in the market remains to be seen, but Tesla has previously expressed a desire to introduce a car sitting beneath the Model 3 that would cost from around the £30,000 mark. We expected this to be a compact hatchback called the ‘Model 2’, although plans for such a car took a back seat as Tesla revealed its two-door, two-seat ‘Cybercab’ last year. This is set to start from around $30,000 in the US (around £23,000). 

Tesla’s plans for a ‘more affordable’ model, particularly one significantly undercutting the Model 3 don’t appear to be shared by the firm’s CEO Elon Musk. He spoke at the Q3 earnings call in 2023, declaring the “future is autonomous” and that having a “regular 25k [dollar] model is pointless”. 

During the 2025 update, Tesla told investors that the Robotaxi will “continue to pursue a revolutionary ‘unboxed’ manufacturing strategy” and is scheduled for volume production starting in 2026.

Low prices and even lower emissions! These are the cheapest electric cars on sale...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Senior news reporter

A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now, as our senior news reporter, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Car brands like Tesla and Vauxhall risk falling behind due to poor leadership
Opinion - Mike Rutherford

Car brands like Tesla and Vauxhall risk falling behind due to poor leadership

Mike Rutherford thinks manufacturers like Tesla and Vauxhall could be left behind due to poor management decisions
Opinion
2 Feb 2025
Elon Musk’s recent behaviour could spell disaster for Tesla
Opinion - Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s recent behaviour could spell disaster for Tesla

Paul Barker shares his opinion on why politics could prove problematic for this beloved EV brand
Opinion
29 Jan 2025
Make petrol cars more expensive, Tesla tells UK Government
Tesla Model Y - main image

Make petrol cars more expensive, Tesla tells UK Government

Elon Musk’s EV firm has lobbied the government to accelerate the push towards EVs by penalising petrol and diesel drivers
News
12 Dec 2024
Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art
Auto Express editor Paul Barker playing video games in a Tesla

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art

In-car entertainment has come a long way in recent years...
Features
4 Dec 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Nissan Leaf for under £140 a month is bargain electric motoring
Nissan Leaf - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Nissan Leaf for under £140 a month is bargain electric motoring

It may be getting on a bit, but the Leaf still represents simple – and cheap – electric motoring. It’s our Deal of the Day for 3 February
News
3 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price
Ford Capri - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price

Rebooted Seventies classic is now an electric SUV for a low monthly outlay. It’s our Deal of the Day for 5 February
News
5 Feb 2025
Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition gets a price hike, but it’s still cheap-as-chips
Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition - front

Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition gets a price hike, but it’s still cheap-as-chips

The petrol Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition now starts from £18,995, while the electric version comes in at £27,495
News
5 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts