A Brief History of Hot Wheels: the More Recent Tesla Castings

Earlier today we analyzed some of the first Tesla replicas released by Hot Wheels, and we quickly came to realize that this EV mini-verse is a lot larger than the Pagani hypercars collection. With that in mind, we decided to split the story into two parts so that we would talk you through at least the basic characteristics of every single Hot Wheels Tesla casting out there. While it may be easier to collect these as opposed to the more traditional Camaros and Mustangs, for instance, it will still take some time and effort to gather them all under the same roof.

Tesla Model 3

You'll be happy to know that the Model 3 replica has been a bit more prolific so far, with a total of five variations released between 2019 to 2022. It came as no surprise that the First Edition model featured a Pearl White paint job and RA6 wheels too. It seems that Mattel has made the switch to 10-spoke wheels instead starting with 2020, but once again this casting does not have a Premium version going on.

Its latest appearance was inside of the Luxury Sedans series, where it had to compete against items like the Lamborghini Estoque and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. One eBay user is asking $44 for the first four variations of the Model 3, while another one is willing to part with a lot of six of the latest iterations for $54. Collecting Hot Wheels Tesla cars doesn't sound all that expensive so far, does it?

Tesla Cybertruck

And now onto one of the most desirable tiny Teslas of them all: the Cybertruck! Phil Riehlman designed it for the 2021 release, although Mattel initially intended to bring it out in 2020. There are three variations of the futuristic truck so far: two basic ones in the Mainlines series and another slightly more impressive one in the id series.

While the First Edition model featured Off-Road six-spoke wheels, the most recent one sits on black Beadlock Off-Road rims instead. This most recent model is the only Tesla you'll find in our Hot Wheels collection so far, and some of you might have not even noticed it in stores this year. If you're going to go the extra mile to get the id model, you'll be happy to see that this one is carrying a Cyberquad in the back which makes it a bit more special overall.

Tesla Roadster

2022 marked the return of the Roadster nameplate to Hot Wheels, but this time you're looking at the upcoming model and not the old one. As opposed to what we've seen before, the First Edition of this brand-new casting was a Premium collectible! This Metalflake Silver variation was featured in the Car Culture: American Scene series earlier this year alongside castings such as the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, the Ford Bronco R, and the '20 Dodge Charger Hellcat to name just a few.

Before taking this casting to Mainline, Hot Wheels also used it in the id series. And that's the most visually exciting version if you ask us, thanks to its Spectraflame Red paint job. Some people have listed items for over $200, but you're bound to find a better deal with a bit of patience. Meanwhile, $58 will get you a lot of 10 Car Culture items and that sounds like a pretty fair deal.

Tesla Model Y

The Model Y is the newest collectible on our list today, but it's not going to be the last one. We've already seen it appearing in certain 2023 Mainline cases, and the color Mattel chose for the First Edition is Metalflake Pearl White. With any luck, you've probably come across one of these in stores recently, and there's no doubt that you can still get it at retail price for the time being.

Hot Wheels RC

If you're keen on adding even more Hot Wheels Teslas to your collection, you might be thrilled to learn that there's a special series of RC cars you can look out for. Mattel unveiled the RC Cybertruck back in 2020 as a Red Line Club exclusive item and delivered the second iteration of it in 2021 as well.

And there's also an RC version of the Roadster that came out this year, so playtime should be more exciting all things considered. You can get both the Roadster and the Cybertruck for about $52, and we're curious to see whether Mattel will continue using this idea in 2023 as well.

To sum things up, if you feel like having a complete Hot Wheels Tesla collection will make you at least slightly happier you'll need to start searching for seven different castings.

And that adds up to a total of 43 items if you don't consider the RC models as well. But there's a good chance that number will get up to 50 by the end of 2023, and it's almost certain that at least one or two of them will have Real Riders wheels and Spectraflame paint jobs.