At Tesla’s Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday, CEO Elon Musk unveiled a teaser image showcasing three new upcoming vehicles. While specific details were obviously scarce, Musk’s remarks and the silhouettes of the covered cars provided some hints about what Tesla has in store.
The teaser image depicted three distinct shapes: two low, sleek profiles and one noticeably higher and boxier design. The latter has led to speculation that Tesla might finally be venturing into the commercial or passenger van market, a space where it has previously expressed interest.
The electric van segment is heating up with competitors like Ford’s E-Transit, Ram’s ProMaster EV, Mercedes-Benz’s eSprinter, and General Motors’ BrightDrop Zevo, making a Tesla van, potentially dubbed the “Cybervan,” a timely addition.
The two sleeker silhouettes, which are actually the same placeholder image, are thought to represent a high-performance design, and Tesla’s more affordable $25K car.
One likely candidate is the long-anticipated second-generation Roadster, initially unveiled in 2017 and originally promised for production by 2020. Musk has since revised the timeline, suggesting a 2025 release. However, since the Roadster has already been revealed, it may not be one of the covered vehicles shown at the meeting.
Another strong contender for one of the sleek profiles is Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi. Musk has teased this vehicle for some time, with a planned reveal date of August 8. The robotaxi is expected to leverage Tesla’s full suite of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies, offering a vision of future urban mobility with no steering wheel or pedals. Dubbed the “Cybercab,” this vehicle is expected to feature an angular design reminiscent of the Cybertruck.
Additionally, there are rumors about a more affordable Tesla model. This compact car is speculated to be positioned below the Model 3, with a target starting price of US$25,000. Although there have been conflicting reports about the status of this vehicle’s development, Tesla has not officially canceled the project.
Then there is the timing of these new models’ production, which remains uncertain, especially as Tesla is currently focused on ramping up the production of the Cybertruck and beginning full-scale production of the Semi. As always with Tesla, the exact timeline remains a moving target, but the anticipation and potential impact of these new models is undeniably significant.
“Obviously, we’ve got some new products we’re working on under the covers,” Musk stated. “I think these are going to be pretty special. I think people at first may think, ‘Oh, it’s not going to be that amazing,’ but just wait, it will be.”
