About the only fact out there is the car will not be called the Model 2 — a fact because Elon said it would not. There are a few other facts:
- Initial production will be in Austin
- The price will be under $25,000
- The Model 2 and the robotaxi will be basically the same car
I am making this post because there are an amazing number of other posts telling you what it will look like, when production will start, that it will be a single gigacasting and so much more. If you read/listen to/watch all the info on the Model 2 you will find an amazing amount of conflicting information. We can credit much of it to the release of Elon’s biography by Walter Isaacson. The biography has a bit too much sensationalism and lots of people seem to have interpreted what is said differently. Here are some data points — not facts but useful data points.
- Many changes are being made in the GigaTexas facility as documented by Joe Tegtmeyer. These changes seem to have started around the time that Tesla announced that design and initial production of the Model 2 will take place in Austin.
- Combining the Model 2 with the robotaxi makes economic sense. Even if the robotaxi is to become a big seller, it won’t start that way because of government regulation. Not one government but many. For example, it might get green-lighted in California but not Oklahoma. That would likely inhibit quick growth.
- The construction of GigaMexico is way behind schedule. Tesla is going to need this new vehicle — so they can get into the low-end market before every manufacturer in China captures — much sooner than anyone can expect GigaMexico to be up and running.
Stay tuned. I think this is going to be an impressive car for the money if for no reason than Tesla’s software technology is ahead of everyone else and using it doesn’t add to the manufacturing cost of car. But, if you need a car at a low price in the next year, you should probably be looking elsewhere.
