Tesla to Develop Compact Affordable Electric SUV

JAKARTA - The American electric vehicle company, Tesla, is reportedly developing a new smaller-sized electric SUV with a more affordable price.

Citing Reuters, this model is described as a completely new vehicle, not a variant of the Tesla Model 3 or Tesla Model Y.

This information was revealed by four reliable sources who declined to be named. The company has even contacted several suppliers to discuss the production process and vehicle component specifications.

Three sources stated that the vehicle will be produced in China, while Tesla is also considering production expansion to the United States and Europe.

Nevertheless, the project is still in the early stages of development, and it is not yet confirmed when mass production will begin.

From a strategic perspective, the development of this affordable SUV follows CEO Elon Musk’s 2024 decision to cancel the cheap electric vehicle project and redirect focus to robotaxis and humanoid robots.

It remains unclear whether this latest SUV will signal Tesla’s return to the mass-market driver-operated electric vehicle segment, or if it will align with the company’s ambitions in developing fully autonomous vehicles.

One source mentioned that the model could potentially accommodate both. Tesla is said to want to offer driverless vehicles but still provide manual control options to adapt to regulations and market readiness in various countries.

Additionally, the car is likely to be equipped with only one electric motor and a lighter weight, around 1.5 tons.

Its selling price is projected to be below that of the Model 3, which currently starts at around $34,000 to $37,000, or approximately Rp 550 million to Rp 600 million.