The rumor is working overtime with reports that Tesla has started the certification process for a new car for sale in China. This procedure begins with an environmental impact assessment, which is already underway according to a Chinese news source Sina.com. Australia Automobile Magazine The Driven is reporting that Tesla could start selling a hatchback car based on the Model 3 later this year. Known informally as the Model 2, the car is considered the first to be designed at Tesla’s Design Center in China and will be manufactured on a new assembly line that is being built at Gigafactory in Shanghai. The selling price is estimated at 160,000 yuan, or just under $ 25,000.
Keep in mind that this is all rumor. Tesla did not confirm the report. (Nor was it denied). The new smaller Tesla will be officially unveiled to the public at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November, according to Chinese media reports. There are some sketches floating around the internet. There is a 5-door hatchback concept in Sina.com this might look like a production-ready car. Possibly. It is beautiful in a utilitarian way and resembles the late Opel’s Astra, which is not a bad thing.
The “Model 2” range is between 350 and 450 kilometers as measured by the highly optimistic NEDC test standard. A common rule of thumb is to divide by 2 and add a skoosh to get an idea of what the EPA equivalent might be. This may be a moot point, as there is no indication that Tesla would sell the car in the United States, where anything less than 18 feet long is considered too small for American taste.
While US customers (with the exception of CleanTechnica readers) would turn up the nose for such a small car, there are many places in Europe, Africa, India and South America where a reasonably priced car like the Model 2 could be extremely popular. Remember that Tesla has already started shipping the Chinese-made Model 3s to Europe.
The leader in electric car sales in China today is the tiny 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. Then again, its base price is $ 5,870, which means that it competes in a market segment entirely different from Tesla. But the slump in the market would help Tesla become the agent of change that it had intended to be more than a decade ago.
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