Tesla isn’t running on a $25,000 automobile now, says Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned all the way through the corporate’s fourth-quarter income name that the corporate would possibly not unlock any new fashions this yr, and is not these days growing a $25,000 automobile.

In his opening remarks, he mentioned that the continued chip scarcity would make it unimaginable to unlock new fashion automobiles with out leading to fewer general automobiles being delivered.

“If we had offered say a brand new automobile ultimate yr, we might — general automobile output would had been the similar as a result of the restrictions — the chips’ constraints in particular.” He persisted, “So, we will be able to now not be introducing new automobile ranges this yr. It could now not make any sense.”

Later, in accordance with a query a few lower-priced Tesla for mainstream customers, Musk mentioned that challenge isn’t these days underway.

“We aren’t these days running at the $25,000 automobile,” Musk mentioned. ” Sooner or later we will be able to. We’ve sufficient on our plate at this time. An excessive amount of on our plate, frankly.”

Musk has time and again urged a $25,000 Tesla is imaginable. He mentioned in 2018 it will take Tesla about 3 years to expand — even though he did not supply a timeline for when it would occur. And in 2020, Musk urged on the corporate’s shareholder’s assembly that Tesla would release this kind of automobile inside the subsequent 3 years.

“About 3 years from now, we are assured we will be able to make an excessively compelling $25,000 electrical automobile that is additionally totally self sustaining,” he claimed in 2020. Musk is infamous, on the other hand, for being overly constructive together with his predictions.

As a substitute of rolling out new fashions, together with the Cybertruck and Semi, in 2022, Tesla will focal point on its driverless automobile tech construction, and scaling manufacturing at its current factories this yr, executives mentioned on Wednesday’s income name.