Although Giga Berlin, the huge factory that Tesla is building in Germany, will ultimately not make battery packs and focus on car production, it will have its design and development center. According to recent statements by Elon Musk, the first Tesla designed in Germany could be a compact hatchback.
In response to a comment from a Twitter user speculating that Tesla might offer a smaller model in Europe because the Model Y is a very large vehicle by the standards of the old continent, the CEO of Tesla confirmed that it would be interesting to develop a hatchback in Germany.
The truth is that this is not the first time that Elon Musk speculates with the possibility that Tesla will launch a smaller electric car than the current Model 3 and Model Y. The company is looking for designers for its first model developed in Giga Shanghai.
Taking into account that the new Tesla of Chinese origin will be developed according to the tastes of the Asian country (although it will be sold internationally), it may be a compact SUV. Therefore, this opens up the possibility for Giga Berlin to develop a compact hatchback, one more type of car of European taste.
Model Y is still too big for some cities in Europe. What about smaller European style hatchback?
— M Jaunius Kapkan (@mjkapkan) July 10, 2020
Probably a good one to design & engineer in Germany
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2020
This hypothetical Tesla Model C would become a rival to the Hyundai Pony, Nissan LEAF, and Volkswagen ID.3. Thanks to the enormous cost reductions the company is achieving in aspects such as the assembly of bodies and the production of batteries, it is possible that the vehicle starts at a price below 30,000 euros before aid.
Despite everything, this model at first will still take a few years to reach the market, as currently, the brand wants to focus on the production of the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, Roadster, and Semi before getting into new projects. Will we see a compact Tesla for the mid-decade? Only time will tell.