The rumor mill is working overtime on reports that Tesla has begun the process of selling a new car in China. This procedure starts with an environmental impact study, which according to Chinese news source is now underway Sina.com. Australia’s motoring magazine The Driven reports Tesla may sell a hatchback on the Model 3 later this year. The car is informally known as the Model 2 and is reportedly the first to be designed in Tesla’s China Design Center and will be manufactured on a new assembly line being built at the Gigafactory in Shanghai. The sale price is said to be 160,000 yuan, or just under $ 25,000.
Remember these are all rumors. Tesla did not confirm the report. (This is also not denied.) According to Chinese news reports, the new, smaller Tesla will be officially unveiled to the public at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November. There are some sketches floating around on the internet. There is a 5-door hatchback concept at Sina.com it looks like it could be close to what a production-ready car might look like. Perhaps. It’s usefully attractive and reminiscent of the late Astra – built Opel, which is not bad.
It is rumored that the range of the “Model 2” is between 350 and 450 kilometers, measured by the highly optimistic NEDC test standard. A general rule of thumb is to divide by 2 and add a skoosh to get an idea of what the EPA equivalent might be. This can be a big point, as there is no indication that Tesla will sell the car in the US, where something less than 18 feet long becomes too small for American taste.
While U.S. customers (with the exception of CleanTechnica readers) nose up for such a small car; there are many places in Europe, Africa, India and South America where a reasonable price like the Model 2 can be very popular. Keep in mind that Tesla has already started shipping Chinese-made Model 3s to Europe.
The most notable electric car sales leader in China these days is the small HongGuang Mini EV made by Wuling, a joint venture with General Motors. It sold 33,000 units in December compared to 23,000 units for the Model 3. The base price is again a meager $ 5,870 dollars, which means that it competes in a completely different market segment than the Tesla. But moving the market down would help Tesla become the change agent he had planned more than ten years ago.
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