Tesla keeps tweaking its products to meet customer demand. Changes are coming for the Model Y and Mexico get a cheaper Model 3.
Automakers adjust their model lineups all the time as they seek to adapt their offerings to the ever changing moods of their customers. Recently, Tesla introduced several changes to its Model 3 sedan in an effort to make it more attractive to buyers.
Those are cosmetic touches that have little effect on the driving experience , but the most importantinvolved a reworking of the front fascia to improve the aerodynamic efficiency, which translates to increased range. The more smoothly a car cleaves the air, the further it can travel on a given amount of electricity. The original Model 3 had a coefficient of drag of 0.23. The figure for the new model is 0.219, which improves the car’s range by 8 percent.
With all the changes, the stripped down Model 3 RWD now sells for 749,000 pesos in Mexico, which is equivalent to about $38,750. It still has about 270 miles of range and can scoot to 60 mph in a tick over 6 seconds. But it remains a far cry from a $25,000 car. For that, Tesla is going to have to dig deep to lower its costs of production and think of ways to remove features that many drivers hardly know are there and would probably never miss.
If we are looking for clues about how Tesla may approach the challenge of building a $25,000 car, the new RWD Model 3 for Mexico is a good guide. It will require Tesla to drop the pretense of being completely a luxury carmaker and transition to mass market cars for the masses. Will that be a bridge too far for Elon?
Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Florida or anywhere else The Force may lead him. He is proud to be"woke" and doesn't really give a damn why the glass on the Cybertruck broke. He believes passionately in what Socrates said 3000 years ago:"The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new." You can follow him on Substack at https://stevehanley.substack.
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