Tesla Reportedly Targeting $25,000 “Model 2” With No Steering Wheel By 2023

Apparently having not lied enough over the last few weeks with the revelation of the “Tesla humanoid robot”, Elon Musk may be seeking to one-up himself by reportedly telling his employees that Tesla is going to release a $25,000 car in 2023.

Landing hours after a report that Apple was seeking to have a mass market vehicle in production by 2024, electrek reported that Tesla is aiming to release the proposed $25,000 vehicle without a steering wheel. 

Musk first announced the idea of a $25,000 vehicle at Tesla’s battery day last year, electrek notes. Musk is hoping to be able to hit the $25,000 price point by leveraging a new battery cell and manufacturing process, which eventually could reduce the costs associated with a battery by over 50%.

There has been little in the way of updates as to how that battery effort is moving along since then.

Musk is also hoping the new vehicle, which has been unofficially dubbed the “Model 2”, will be fully autonomous. “Do we want to have this car come with a steering wheel and pedals?” Musk reportedly asked his employees, suggesting the vehicle may not need them.

Renderings show it as a compact style hatchback. 

Last year, Tesla disclosed plans to establish a research and development center in China to help build a “Chinese style” electric vehicle, which may wind up being similar, or the same, as the proposed “Model 2”. 

Sources told electrek production could start as soon as 2023. We’ll take the “over” on that timeline, as usual, when it comes to matters of Musk’s promises. The report concluded by stating that the company’s progress on Full Self Driving will dictate whether or not the Model 2 will be autonomous. With that being the case, not only do we think proposed goals about the timeline are likely misguided, but we’re not holding out hope for autonomy, either.