Elon Musk cancels Tesla Model 2 (because it may already exist)

With the arrival of the Cybercab, "a $25,000 electric car doesn't make much sense any more". What if the cheap car was actually the robotaxi?

Photo by: Tesla

By: Riccardo Ciriaco

Oct 25, 2024 at 4:08am ET

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Waiting for Godot... which, as in Samuel Beckett's famous play, may never happen. The protagonist of a four-wheeled reinterpretation of the play is the much-anticipated Tesla Model 2, a $25,000 (below £20,000) car announced in 2020 with no concept and no official information, including its name.

While experts, shareholders and enthusiasts have been wondering for some time when the company's affordable vehicle will be unveiled, CEO Elon Musk is now dashing hopes: "I've been clear that the future for us is autonomous. So when we talk about a $25,000 electric car, it wouldn't make much sense to think about a model other than the Cybercab". These words were spoken during the presentation of the company's third-quarter financial results.

So is there no longer any point in dreaming? Have expectations been completely missed? Not quite. The Tesla Model 2 could in fact actually be ready and appearing in disguise: as a robotaxi. Let's find out why.

Twins

Let's start at the end, with the clue dropped last night. The future is autonomous and it's absurd to think of any model other than the Cybercab. Sound familiar? Back in 2020 and 2021, the CEO predicted that the $25,000 electric car would have no steering wheel or pedals: just like the robotaxi that has just appeared.

Le robotaxi Tesla Cybercab

InsideEVs

The interior, with no steering wheel or pedals

All that would be needed would be the green light from the relevant administrations to authorise mass circulation of the vehicle. Alternatively, the Cybercab could simply be modified with the missing parts and put on the road immediately.

The phantom Model 2 would also be based on the same new platform as the robotaxi, dubbed Next-Gen and designed to create cars smaller than the Model 3 and Model Y, with the aim of halving production costs.

The pricing crux

Now we come to the price. What we do know about the Cybercab is that it will enter the price lists for under $30,000 (£23,000). At least that's the promise of Elon Musk, known for his over-enthusiastic announcements. Here, judging by the proclamations, we're not far off the $25,000 mark.

How we imagined the Tesla Model 2

A former rendering of the Tesla Cybercab

What do you think?

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Even in terms of bodywork, the robotaxi looks much more conventional than expected, in the form of a three-door without rear windows, similar to a compact crossover, like the imaginary cheap electric car. The 2026-27 marketing period for the self-driving vehicle also seems to match that of the Model 2.

The announced stop

It should also be remembered that rumours had been circulating in recent months about the cancellation of the project. The "directive is to focus everything on robotaxis", a source told Reuters news agency, accompanied by a pungent comment from the CEO (who did not, however, directly deny the information). If the Tesla Model 2 is dead, long live the Tesla Model 2!