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Tesla Model III to Get SUV & Estate Variants, Roadster Mk2 Considered

Back in July, Elon Musk confirmed on his Twitter account that by 2016 we'll have a new Tesla nameplate dubbed the Model III. Even though the smaller brother of the Model S is currently in development, a Tesla official hinted the Model III will spawn two new vehicles – an SUV and an estate.
Tesla Model S concept 1 photo
Photo: Tesla
The twin-engined, all-wheel drive Model S P85D and the soon to be launched Model X crossover may be the rave nowadays, but the Model III will be the car to change Tesla Motors from low-volume EV maker to a global phenomenon. Why so, you might ask?

Not much is known about the III, but some details are certain – it will be of a similar size to the BMW 3 Series (compact executive / D-segment vehicle), it'll sport a low price (around $35,000), it's expected to go more than 200 miles (321 km) on a charge and it will boost Tesla's yearly sales well over 100,000 units.

About the new info on the Model III, Chris Porritt, which is Tesla's vice president for engineering, told AutoExpress that "we [Tesla] want this car to be £30,000 to £35,000 with derivatives which will appeal to all sorts of people. SUVs, estates – who knows? ... We’ve got specific customers for Model S, we have an idea with Model X, but we need to appeal to more people with Model III."

Of course, the Nevada-based Gigafactory and Panasonic battery building know-how will help Tesla a lot to keep the price of the Model III and its two derivates as low as possible. Even so, Chris suggested that the Palo Alto-based EV manufacturer has "to be more efficient in the way we build it and we will have to use more cost-effective materials or be cleverer with the materials we use.”

Last but not least, the Tesla official told the British publication that the Model III will most likely boast with an all-electric driving range of "between 200 and 300 miles." In addition to this driving range update, Porritt suggested that Tesla Motors "may do a Roadster or a sports car again," that is after the electric vehicle automaker is finished with its current expansion plans.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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