Tesla is working on Master Plan 4: Here's what to expect

Autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, Robotaxis and humanoid robots: a lot of technology and not many cars are expected in the company's future...

By: Francesco Barontini

Jun 19, 2024 at 6:39am ET

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Tesla is working on a new master plan, called "part 4". That's according to Elon Musk himself, who makes it known in a very concise way, with a dedicated post, which gives us a clue as to the direction the brand is going to take in the coming years.

The fact is that, at the moment, car production and sales seem to be secondary activities, with the Model 2 behind schedule and the Roadster long postponed to a later date. In short, Tesla is now focusing more on autonomous driving, robot taxis and artificial intelligence. but to what extent is it ready to change?

How the Tesla we know today came into being

Let's take a step back. With the Master Plan 1, Elon Musk created the Tesla we know today. In 2006, he wrote: "build a sports car (the first Roadster); use that money to build an affordable car (the Model S and then the Model X) ; use that money to build an even more affordable car (the Model 3) ; and then work on zero-emission energy production...

In 2016, he presented the Tesla Master Plan 2 and cars were already losing their priority in the company's activities. There were 4 main points:

Create photovoltaic panels and integrated storage systems
Expand the product range of electric vehicles to cater for all the main segments
Develop autonomous driving capabilities 10 times safer than manual driving thanks to massive fleet learning
Allow your car to earn money when not in use

From this came the Solar Roof, Powerwall, Model Y, Tesla Semi, Cybertruck and Full Self-Driving. Some of these objectives have been achieved in part, or behind schedule. Others are still under construction.

Tesla Solar Roof

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What's expected for the future

With the Tesla Master Plan 3 presented last year, the company focused primarily on expanding the range of electric cars and the energy sector to embrace a 360-degree concept of sustainability.

But for now, Elon Musk seems to be in trouble. The range will remain unchanged for some time to come, also because the next-generation platform is behind schedule and the various projects, from FSD to Robotaxi, can certainly not be considered complete. In this scenario, Masterplan 4 seems premature. Yet it is well and truly in the pipeline.

Tesla Model 2, the Motor1.com rendering

What will it be about? Probably Robotaxi, given that the presentation of this new vehicle without steering wheel or pedals (really?) will take place on 8 August, and Optimus, the humanoid robot in which Tesla has great confidence and which will soon be in force (1,000 units) on the assembly line. Then, more generally, new technologies and the new frontiers of mobility.

We'll keep an eye on developments, of course, but Musk can't keep setting himself targets for the future without completing those he's announced in the past. It's one thing to be driven by enthusiasm and optimism, it's quite another to end up being perceived as lacking credibility.