Automakers can test new vehicles under the bodies of entirely different models. These early prototypes are called mules. Most of them use “clothing” from older cars from the same manufacturer, but Tesla produces only four vehicles. That said, it could only create a mule with the body of cars from other companies. This is what seems to have happened with this unusual Tesla using the body of a Mazda CX-30. Ironically, that shows how Tesla urgently needs to expand its lineup. An affordable EV could start to fix that – and break other stuff.
According to China Daily, the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association said Tesla is “facing a serious problem of a very limited product mix." Cui Dongshu also said that the American EV maker’s “slowness to respond to Chinese consumers' preferences has led to a very passive positioning for Tesla to rely on few means, such as price cuts, to stay competitive." Ouch!
The world’s largest market is all-in on electric vehicles, and all of Tesla’s competitors know that. BYD currently sells seven electric vehicle models and plans to expand that soon. NIO also has seven models for sale. With such a variety and plans to flood China with new models, the American EV maker is evidently lagging, with no products in crucial market segments.
Photo: via Yiche
Although we have already shown you the mule’s pictures in another article, they deserve a more thorough analysis. Have a look at the images in our gallery. They present a vehicle with wheels, headlights, and taillights that come from Tesla. A closer look will reveal that almost everything from the A-pillar toward the back of the car comes from the Mazda CX-30, including the fuel cap, wing mirrors, door handles, fender cladding, and the body of the vehicle. The visible exceptions are the taillights and the wheels, as mentioned before.
The question is what is between the front bumper and the A-pillar: the front of the car seems to come entirely from the Model Y. It is not just the headlights but also the front fender and the lack of a front grille. That shows this mule is doubtlessly electric, even if there is an exhaust pipe cut in the rear bumper.
What if this mule belongs to any other manufacturer? We have seen these vehicles bearing badges from other companies just to confuse spy photographers. Some Volkswagen mules used to have Kia badges, for example.
Photo: via TeslaHere
Tesla has never developed its cars with prototypes out in the open because it never felt it had to test them. Remember the “deliver now, fix later” motto? If that changed, this would make this vehicle the first Tesla mule I have ever seen. There was one mysterious prototype in the past that seemed to be related to the American EV maker, but nobody ever confirmed if that was the case. That could happen to these new pictures as well.
Suppose this is really a Tesla test vehicle. Choosing a CX-30 helps us get a glimpse of what this vehicle could offer when it is ready for production. The Mazda is 173 inches (4.40 meters) long, 70.7 in (1.80 m) wide, 60.6 in (1.54 m) tall, and has a 104.5-in (2.66-m) wheelbase.
If the new affordable Tesla is underneath this CX-30 clothing, the American EV maker selected the Mazda crossover because it matched its most important dimension: the wheelbase. Everything else may change.
Photo: via Yiche
According to Yiche, the mule suggests that the affordable Tesla may be presented at the Tesla Investor Day, which will happen on March 1. More than the car, the event will introduce the third-generation platform that Tesla is allegedly developing. The company claims that this new architecture will drop manufacturing costs in half. Without a battery pack revolution, that is as unlikely as the 4680 cells delivering everything Tesla said it would. The first teardowns of that cell show that it is just a big and ordinary NMC 811 battery.
If you insist on calling this vehicle Model 2, forget about it. Elon Musk himself already said that the Model 3 was only called like that because Ford had the trademark for Model E and was not willing to sell it. That said, Tesla turned the car into the Model 3 because 3 looks like E, which helped Musk attain his vision of a S3XY (and limited) lineup.
Photo: via Yiche
Considering how much Musk appreciates these 5th-grade jokes, it would not surprise anyone if the car was named Tesla 69, 420, or Texas Institute of Technology & Science (check the acronym for that one). If we were to consider something more serious, it could be a Chinese name that also sounded good in English. That would be a tribute to the Chinese professionals that are developing and designing the new car. Why else would it have been photographed in China, right?
The affordable vehicle will undoubtedly have lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells due to price targets. With a shorter wheelbase than the Model 3, it should also offer a lower range unless Tesla manages to pack higher energy density into these battery packs. Thankfully for Tesla, the lower ranges might not be a nuisance for potential customers due to the widespread Supercharging network. On the other hand, a flood of cheaper Teslas in need of frequent fast-charging sessions will stress Tesla Service Centers and the patience of current owners who already have to fight for appointments or a charging spot.
Just remember the first affordable Tesla: the Model 3. It was supposed to cost $35,000, but it only achieved that price target very briefly and in limited numbers. Even costing much more than it was supposed to, the Model 3 changed the premium image Tesla used to have with its customers. The new car – whatever it is called – will make that worse with lower prices and higher volumes, even with the welcome lineup expansion. Regardless of presenting the new car or not, the next Tesla Investor Day will be enlightening.
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