Photo: Tesla
The Mexican authorities confirmed that all the permits for Tesla's gigafactory in Nuevo Leon have been issued, and a groundbreaking ceremony is imminent. The latest information from Tesla also shows that the design of the Gen-3 affordable EV that Tesla would build at Giga Mexico has been finalized.
Tesla is very close to starting engineering development of its most affordable model, built on the Gen-3 vehicle architecture. Based on the latest information, the design phase is almost complete. Previous reports indicated that the new model would look like a mini-Model Y. This makes a lot of sense, considering that the compact crossover segment is the hottest in the car market. Still, there's very little we know about the upcoming model, and that includes its name.
Tesla should organize a naming contest for the affordable model, as people disagree about what it should be called. Tesla started with Model S and continued with the letters X and Y, in a move that says a lot about Elon Musk. One letter was missing because Ford wouldn't let go of it, so the Model 3 name was used instead. Based on this, people predicted the affordable compact EV would be named Model 2, although it doesn't make much sense. Tesla used the 3 only because the E was unavailable, although I must admit, 2S3XY doesn't sound half bad.
Another crowd thinks it should be named Model Q or simply Q based on the hope that this high-volume EV will put the last nail in the coffin of Tesla short sellers, collectively referred to as TSLAQ. I have no idea what Tesla would name its new baby, but the EV maker moved away from single letters or digits and opted to call its latest product Cybertruck instead of Model C or something like that. If not for this tiny detail, I would say Model Z would be the proper name, as Tesla's previous crossovers were named Model X and Model Y.
Whatever the name, the Model Z's design is already in its final stages, as Samuel Alejandro Garcia Sepulveda, the governor of Nuevo Leon, revealed in a press conference. This is the Mexican state where Tesla will build Giga Mexico, the gigafactory responsible for producing the compact EV. Garcia said the compact EV will be "the best affordable and electric vehicle in the world." What remains to be done is finishing the software and testing the prototypes before production begins. But first, of course, the most critical step is setting up the production lines at Giga Mexico in Santa Catarina.
Garcia said all the necessary permits, including the environmental impact, had been issued, and energy and water were made available on-site. Tesla should announce a groundbreaking ceremony at any moment now, although the Nuevo Leon authorities don't have a date set in stone yet. Previous reports indicated that the production start at Giga Mexico had been pushed to 2025 instead of the second half of 2024 as planned. This means Tesla's hopes to replicate Giga Shanghai's success in Mexico might be too optimistic.
Tesla should organize a naming contest for the affordable model, as people disagree about what it should be called. Tesla started with Model S and continued with the letters X and Y, in a move that says a lot about Elon Musk. One letter was missing because Ford wouldn't let go of it, so the Model 3 name was used instead. Based on this, people predicted the affordable compact EV would be named Model 2, although it doesn't make much sense. Tesla used the 3 only because the E was unavailable, although I must admit, 2S3XY doesn't sound half bad.
Another crowd thinks it should be named Model Q or simply Q based on the hope that this high-volume EV will put the last nail in the coffin of Tesla short sellers, collectively referred to as TSLAQ. I have no idea what Tesla would name its new baby, but the EV maker moved away from single letters or digits and opted to call its latest product Cybertruck instead of Model C or something like that. If not for this tiny detail, I would say Model Z would be the proper name, as Tesla's previous crossovers were named Model X and Model Y.
Whatever the name, the Model Z's design is already in its final stages, as Samuel Alejandro Garcia Sepulveda, the governor of Nuevo Leon, revealed in a press conference. This is the Mexican state where Tesla will build Giga Mexico, the gigafactory responsible for producing the compact EV. Garcia said the compact EV will be "the best affordable and electric vehicle in the world." What remains to be done is finishing the software and testing the prototypes before production begins. But first, of course, the most critical step is setting up the production lines at Giga Mexico in Santa Catarina.
Garcia said all the necessary permits, including the environmental impact, had been issued, and energy and water were made available on-site. Tesla should announce a groundbreaking ceremony at any moment now, although the Nuevo Leon authorities don't have a date set in stone yet. Previous reports indicated that the production start at Giga Mexico had been pushed to 2025 instead of the second half of 2024 as planned. This means Tesla's hopes to replicate Giga Shanghai's success in Mexico might be too optimistic.
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