At his ‘Battery Day’ event, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will be offering a £20,000 car in three years’ time…
Elon Musk’s £20,000 Tesla
Elon Musk has announced that drivers will be able to get their hands on an affordable Tesla in three years’ time. At his ‘Battery Day’ event, the divisive CEO said the company’s first affordable car would cost $25,000 (£19,600). Tesla hopes to achieve this via ‘tabless’ batteries that will drive down the cost of electric vehicles. Musk told 240 shareholders at the event “this has always been our dream to make an affordable electric car”. By removing the tabs that connect a battery to what it’s powering, Tesla claims it can make them six times more powerful; and increase a car’s range by an impressive 16%. In addition, new assembly processes will see batteries built as a part of the structure of vehicles themselves. This will reduce weight and render Tesla less dependent on Panasonic for its cells.
Prof Stanley Whittingham, a Nobel Prize winner for his work on lithium-ion batteries, was seemingly impressed by Elon Musk’s plans. He said, “tackling all the opportunities is high risk, but high pay-off. Many of us have suggested the same steps are necessary, but Tesla has the investment and will to make it happen. Not sure anyone else is willing to do this”. In addition to an affordable Tesla, the CEO also announced a new ‘Plaid’ version of the Model S. The new version will be capable 0-60mph in under two seconds, will have a top speed of 200mph and boast a range in excess of 500 miles.
The ‘Master Plan’
From the very beginning, Tesla’s ultimate aim has been to produce affordable electric vehicles in order to promote sustainable driving. A ‘master plan’ called for the production of premium vehicles, aimed at the wealthy and early adopters. As technology was honed, production processes were improved and awareness promoted, progressively more affordable and mass-market vehicles could then be put to market. Not too long ago, Elon Musk informed shareholders that he and the company as a whole were aware that its vehicles remained inaccessible due to pricing. Now, it seems, the falling cost of batteries might make a truly affordable Tesla possible in the near-future.
Ultimately, Tesla knows that in order to put an end to ICE vehicles it needs to produce an affordable electric car. Functional range, solid performance, reliability and comfort mean absolutely nothing if consumers can’t get their hands on the company’s models. In order to make electric cars affordable, it knows it needs cheaper and easier to produce batteries. Which is why its ‘tabless’ batteries may be a game-changer for the company and car industry as a whole.
Battery Electric Cars: The Top Five Most Affordable In The UK – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/battery-electric-cars-the-top-five-most-affordable-in-the-uk/
Energy Firms Want To Be Able To Turn Off EV Home Chargers – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/energy-firms-want-to-be-able-to-turn-off-ev-home-chargers/