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Likely to offer a price even lower than 'Model 3'
U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is expected to launch a new sports utility vehicle (SUV) that is cheaper and smaller than its existing models.
Reuters reported on the 9th (local time), citing multiple sources, that Tesla has recently been discussing plans with suppliers for a new compact SUV, different from the existing 'Model 3' and 'Model Y'.
This model will have an overall length of 4,280mm, making it smaller than Tesla's mid-size SUV, the 'Model Y' (4,790mm). Its weight is expected to be around 1.5 tons, lighter than the 'Model Y', which weighs approximately 2 tons.
The price is also expected to be lower.
According to sources, the price of the compact SUV will be set significantly lower than the 'Model 3', currently Tesla's most affordable sedan. The current U.S. price for the 'Model 3' is $37,000 (approximately 54.51 million KRW), and the China price is around $34,000.
Tesla plans to reduce costs by embedding a smaller battery than before. However, as the battery becomes smaller, the driving range will also be shorter than that of the existing 'Model Y'.
Vehicle production is scheduled to take place at the Shanghai factory in China, and there are also plans to expand production in the United States and Europe.
This is not the first time Tesla has announced plans for a low-cost model.
Several years ago, it announced plans to produce a $25,000 low-cost electric car, sometimes called 'Model 2', but scrapped this plan in 2024.
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, explained at the time that producing entry-level vehicles would be meaningless as he planned to introduce autonomous driving cars soon.
To date, Tesla's Robotaxi (unmanned taxi) service has been operating in a limited form in restricted areas such as Austin, Texas.
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