Third Generation Tesla Plans Revealed in Slideshow

With Tesla already moving forward with its second car, the Model S, and plans for its Model X crossover coming along smoothly, rumblings of the company’s third generation are breaking the surface through a slideshow.

As a small startup brand, Tesla doesn’t have the same resources an established auto brand might muster to simultaneously develop and sell several models. Instead, the company uses a strategy not unlike using logs as rollers to move a heavy object. As the log at the rear is free, someone carries it to the front, allowing for more distance with minimal infrastructure.

The same things seems to be true with Tesla: the radical Roadster made a good ice breaker so the more practical, yet luxuriously appointed Model S could slip into the market. Similarly, the Model X will fill an as-of-yet untouched luxury-exotic EV crossover segment. Provided it proves to be a success, company CEO Elon Musk will be able to use the cash generated from selling both those models as his “logs” to carry the cost of creating two new cars as is suggested by a recently revealed slideshow.

As a part of that third generation, we were expecting to see a revised Roadster model, but it look like the brand is heading in a different, downmarket direction, which could be a wise choice given its track record as one of the few “successful” EV manufacturers to date. That success is a relative term positive results in the EV market these days is characterized as much by products not catching fire or breaking down during testing as it is actual sales.

Instead of a newer sports car model, the latest information reveals plans for a third-generation crossover and sedan that will cost less than either the Model S or Model X. Assuming Tesla continues to build a reputable brand, it could be positioning itself to offer a viable alternative to cars like the big-box Nissan Leaf, or Chevrolet Volt.