Elon Musk drops more hatchback hints as new Tesla Model 2 firms

Elon Musk has again pointed to the importance of launching a Tesla hatchback in Europe – after struggling to find a parking space big enough to squeeze his Model X into in Germany.

The Tesla boss – and, on-paper at least, the world’s second-richest person – flagged the move at a battery briefing outside Berlin, the latest in a series of hints dropped about a Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla-sized EV.

“In Europe, it would make sense to do a compact car, perhaps a hatchback,” he said. “I’m sure there will be others as well.

“I was driving a Model X around Berlin and we had quite a bit of trouble finding a parking space where we could fit.”

The news ties recently with the Tesla boss’ recent promise to have a US$25,000 EV on the as early as 2023, saying an “affordable electric car” is coming soon.

Thought to be called the Model 2, the new model – presumably also the hatchback Musk has flagged – would be the cheapest-ever Tesla.

“It was always our goal to make an affordable electric car. And we’re confident that in around three years from, now we’ll be able to make a very compelling US$25,000 electric car that’s also fully autonomous,” Musk says.

“We are confident that long-term we can design and manufacturer a $25,000 electric vehicle that will be compelling.

“This has always been the dream since the beginning of the company. Our first car was an expensive sports car, then a slightly less expensive sedan, and then finally a mass-market premium vehicle.

“But it was always our goal to make an affordable electric car.”