Cheaper Tesla or smaller Model Y? Strange car prototype spotted

Against the backdrop of a significant decrease in demandTesla has once again become the subject of spy photos. A new mysterious electric car was spotted near the Fremont plant. It looks almost like a Model Y, but seems to be a bit more compact. And this throws heat into the long-simmering rumors about plans to release a cheaper version of the popular crossover.

Over the past few months, a camouflaged electric crossover that looks very similar to the Model Y has been regularly spotted near Tesla’s California factory Model Y. These photos excited investors and fans of the brand: could this be the mythical «affordable» Tesla car that has been talked about for years?

Elon Musk once promised an electric car for $25,000, but in the spring of 2024, this program was quietly closed. Two projects codenamed NV91 and NV92, which were supposed to be the basis for a new low-cost electric car on a fresh platform, were canceled. The reason is quite mundane: production of the Model 3 and Model Y began to stand idle, and demand dropped. So, instead of creating something new, they decided to utilize the existing facilities to the maximum.

Judging by Tesla’s latest statements, it all comes down to the fact that «new available models» — are actually simplified existing Model 3 and Model Y. They are likely to be slightly reduced, perhaps with new names, but without a technical revolution or the creation of a budget version from scratch. Like, if you build everything on the same line — you can’t go wild.

And now, as a confirmation of this version of the —, we have this prototype that everyone has already seen. The same contours, the same proportions, only the dimensions may differ by a few centimeters. It looks like a copy of the Model Y, just on a diet. You can also expect some simplifications in the technical specifications and interior.

So, Tesla is probably preparing a «new» model that will be very similar to the existing one. This is not the same legendary «Tesla for $25,000», but rather — smart resource optimization and marketing with special effects. Perhaps there will be a different name and a couple of fewer buttons in the cabin, but we should not expect global changes.

There is only one thing left to do: watch for the next «» showers and count the centimeters. Because it seems that everything new in Tesla is just the old well rethought. Even despite the criticism over the lack of a radical update of the model range.

Source: electrek