Tesla 'Gen III' Car Coming in 2016: CEO Says
Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered the most concrete information to date on its next, smaller sedan during a shareholder meeting yesterday.
Musk said the sedan will cost half of what the Model S does, that it will offer 200 miles of range and that it will launch in late 2016. Currently, the Model S starts at $62,400, which suggests that the “Gen III” car will be priced near the Nissan Leaf.
A self driving feature the brand will call “Autopilot” could also be in the cards, although he admitted it might not be ready at launch.
He also said Tesla is working with Panasonic on new battery-cell electrochemistry optimized for automotive use and that he is “pretty optimistic” about advancing energy storage density.
“A significant improvement in technology is needed to have a compelling affordable electric car. To be compelling, it must have a useful range of 200 miles,” he said.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Since the Model X got delayed to 2015, don't expect the Gen III to arrive until late 2017 or 2018. Tesla has a history of taking about 3 years to go from concept to production. The Gen III concept is supposed debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.