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01:02 GMT, January 30, 2016Tesla Motors, which will soon unveil its affordable all-electric sedan, is rumoured to also be developing an affordable all-electric crossover.
The automaker will reportedly be releasing two ‘affordable’ variations of its Model 3. One version will be a sedan and the other is expected to be a ‘mini SUV’ crossover.
The word ‘affordable’ means ‘within most people’s budgets.’
The Tesla Model 3 sedan is expected to cost $35,000 in the US before government incentives (which range from $7,500 to over $13,000, depending on the state). There’s no word on how much the rumoured crossover could cost.
Seth Weintraub of Electrek said: ‘The biggest tidbit I’ve heard from a second-hand source is that Tesla is readying at least 2 different versions of its Model 3 for the March launch,’
‘One version is a sedan and another is a small crossover built on the same platform.’
Weintraub said that a recent presentation by Tesla in Hong Kong revealed that two affordable cars are in the pipeline – a sedan and a crossover. It’s likely that the other version will be the ‘Model Y’ crossover which Musk tweeted about last year.
Musk said in a tweet: ‘a Model 3 and a Model Y’,
‘One of the two will [have falcon-wing doors].’ Musk deleted the tweet shortly after posting it online though.
The prospect of an SUV built on the Model 3 platform was confirmed by what a Tesla spokesperson told Mashable: “Tesla will be able to build multiple variations on the third generation platform, specifically a sedan and, later, an SUV,”
Only the Model 3 sedan will be unveiled in March
Despite rumours of a possible ‘affordable’ crossover, Tesla confirmed that only one version will be shown at a March launch event – the Model 3 sedan.
The Model 3 sedan is “meant to be a slightly smaller version of the Model S,” Musk said in Hong Kong this week, “and it won’t have quite as many bells and whistles.”
It’s “going to be probably the most profound car that we make,” Elon Musk said. “It will be a very compelling car at an affordable price.”
Consumers can expect the Model 3 sedan to offer a range of at least 200 miles per charge.