Currently reading: Tesla previews small electric car for China
American firm posted design sketch as it announced that it's setting up a research and design centre in China

Tesla has shown a design sketch of a small car for China and revealed that it's looking to set up a design and research facility in the country.

The American electric vehicle (EV) maker posted the image of a compact hatchback with Model 3-inspired styling via its official account on WeChat – China's biggest social media network.

The announcement was primarily a call for job applicants, some of whom will have a hand in designing "Chinese-style" Tesla models.

Tesla recently set up shop in China with a gigafactory in Shanghai – its first outside the US. With an annual capacity of 500,000 units, it will initially produce the Model 3 compact saloon and its forthcoming sibling, the Model Y, a seven-seat mid-size SUV.

The first Chinese-built Tesla was delivered to a customer on 6 January, just 10 months after construction of the facility began.

The company's boss, Elon Musk, has previously said that Tesla would "create a car for worldwide sale" in China. A strong possibility is a family hatchback to rival the new Volkswagen ID 3, given that Musk stated in 2018 that his company would produce a compact model "within the next five years". 

China is the world's biggest market for EVs, thanks primarly to strong government support for companies and consumers.

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Rodester 17 January 2020

Another tall story from

Another tall story from rocket man. What we'll actually see is an awful lot of hype from the weed toting springbok, then years of production delays, followed by a trickle of shoddily shit boxes all being peddled 1000's of pounds higher than originally planned.
lambo58 18 January 2020

Your hatred of Musk is

Your hatred of Musk is palpable but misplaced.
Is it the fact Tesla kicked the whole thing off in terms of the EV revolution and therefore the beginnings of the fall of the ICE car which has upset you?
Or just the fact that millions like me can see the vision he has created and get it?
Whatever your grievance the share price has now never been higher.
By the way, the only thing your post reveals is how racist you are.
Another moronic brexiteer no doubt
Rodester 18 January 2020

lambo58 wrote:

lambo58 wrote:

Your hatred of Musk is palpable but misplaced.
Is it the fact Tesla kicked the whole thing off in terms of the EV revolution and therefore the beginnings of the fall of the ICE car which has upset you?
Or just the fact that millions like me can see the vision he has created and get it?
Whatever your grievance the share price has now never been higher.
By the way, the only thing your post reveals is how racist you are.
Another moronic brexiteer no doubt

My dearest limpdick58. I'm so so sorry you've been drawn into rocket man's hype. I sincerely hope you've not been duped into actually purchasing one of his crock boxes, you couldn't afford one anyway, peasant boy. But anyhow, fools are easily parted from their cash and all those who invested in the springboks misadventure will soon see their cash go the way of one of his joints... up in smoke.

jonboy4969 17 January 2020

That big EV government

That big EV government support is not applicable now, as they have slashed the hand outs, and EV sales are dropping like a stone over there, so i hpoe Tesla has not jumped on board a sinking ship...... 

 

And why a small compact just for China, what about the rest of the world, some might like a small car like that, but UK sales of Tesla are nothing to write home about.

 

Last year there was only 14,000 imports into the country, as Tesla is not registered as a brand to record sales, but that Import list includes the supercars, Ferrari, Lambo, Konigsegg, and so on, Ligier, Polestar, Alpine, and other small car brands and so on, yes they might not sell many of each, but over all from all the Import brands Tesla's sales are not good, in fact MG Sells more than Tesla. over 13,000 last year.

xxxx 17 January 2020

Rant over ?

Did you even read the story?
As to "but that Import list includes the supercars, Ferrari, Lambo, Konigsegg, and so on, Ligier, Polestar, Alpine,...." ehhh? since when did Polestar import into China?

p.s. You might not want to read about the New Tesla factory in China that's now producing and which will ultimatley be capable of producing over 100k Model 3's this year.

si73 17 January 2020

However his comment regarding

However his comment regarding why just China is valid, a compact Tesla would suit Europe I'd have thought.
jonboy4969 17 January 2020

xxxx wrote:

xxxx wrote:

Did you even read the story?
As to "but that Import list includes the supercars, Ferrari, Lambo, Konigsegg, and so on, Ligier, Polestar, Alpine,...." ehhh? since when did Polestar import into China?

p.s. You might not want to read about the New Tesla factory in China that's now producing and which will ultimatley be capable of producing over 100k Model 3's this year.

XXXX i know what that means !!!! - did you not read my post - it quite CLEARLY STATED TESLA SALES IN THE UK - and was about the compact being sold in China only, and that Europe is the world's biggest market for compact Hatchbacks, and the following comments were following on from that, as usual you rant and moan like always without understanding, maybe you should go back to school.

SO go back and read it....

Oh yes, Ultimatley is spelt incorrectly, it is ULTIMATELY,

OH YES, Polestar is in China, BIG TIME, they even have a production facility in Chengdu, and they have a few outlets already with more coming.

lambo58 17 January 2020

Try reading the story again

Try reading the story again
si73 17 January 2020

lambo58 wrote:

lambo58 wrote:

Try reading the story again

Sorry, yes I did mis read it, a car built in China for worldwide sale. Thanks for that, I, as many, others am guilty of speed reading and misinterpreting things.

A hatch Tesla, non SUV, is very appealing.

jonboy4969 17 January 2020

The Tesla Hatch might not be

The Tesla Hatch might not be the model for world wide production as the model Y is being produced there, and that should sell far better than the model III, and we all know the issues that Tesla had with producing those, so they are going to hedge their bets and build in three places to ensure full worldwide coverage, China, Germany and the USA.
Torque Stear 17 January 2020

jonboy4969 wrote:

jonboy4969 wrote:

The Tesla Hatch might not be the model for world wide production as the model Y is being produced there, and that should sell far better than the model III, and we all know the issues that Tesla had with producing those, so they are going to hedge their bets and build in three places to ensure full worldwide coverage, China, Germany and the USA.

Tesla isn't having problems producing Model 3s anymore they make a 20% margin on them which is the same as Porsche or BMW manage.

Many of the issues with the Model 3 stemmed from wanting to vastly increase the productivity of the line, they gradually worked through them to get up to full production.

In some cases back tracking in some cases fixing the new methods. The China line was built with learning's from the US line and they did it in record time by not deviating from established good practice.

With the Model Y they expect to make considerable savings with the electronics and the use of diecast structural elements. The Model Y uses many Model 3 components but the design itself is quite different and easier to produce.

Conventional logic is that you wouldn't design a premium "world car" in China. The lack of a deep automotive culture there means that it is difficult to cater to established market preferences around fit, finish and driving experience.

I'm not sure this applies as much to Tesla as they have shifted so much functionality to software which can be tailored to each market.

The Colonel 17 January 2020

jonboy4969 wrote:

jonboy4969 wrote:

That big EV government support is not applicable now, as they have slashed the hand outs, and EV sales are dropping like a stone over there, so i hpoe Tesla has not jumped on board a sinking ship......

The Chinese do not subsidise just to push stock. There's a framework to how they go about it and the removal of subsidies, for plug-ins with a range of less than 250km, was done precisely to weed out makers that just jumped in with no thought of longevity, such that the foundation is there, now, it is just the serious manufacturers that will continue to enjoy the benefit of subsidy and build their base. There'll come a point where that level of subsidy, or threshold to achieve subsidy, will change again. And again. Likely. Nevertheless, in that time there will become a critical mass of ownership where subsidy is no longer required as EV will be the de facto choice, based on availability, quality, range, price, etc and not ICE.

The fact that sales fell (relative to 2018, but not 2017) is not necessarily indicative of a pushback against EVs, since there's scant evidence that people went away thinking "no subsidy, I'll just get a petrol car then". Plus the levelling of sales in the second half of 2019 (rather than a constant decline) suggests people are waiting rather than abandoning and the forthcoming China built Tesla is what it is thought many are waiting for.

Some might even cite the year of the pig, and the end of the twelve year zodiac cycle, as a reason for falling sales...but those people would be...suspect...