It is reported that Tesla is developing a new compact SUV.

ME News Report, April 9 (UTC+8), sources reveal that Tesla is developing a brand new, smaller, and more affordable electric SUV. The company has recently contacted suppliers over the past few weeks to discuss the details of this compact SUV, which will be a new vehicle rather than a redesign of Tesla’s existing Model 3 or Model Y. The sources say that this compact SUV will be manufactured in China, while another indicates that Tesla also plans to expand production to the United States and Europe. The vehicle is 4.28 meters long (about 14 feet), noticeably shorter than Tesla’s best-selling Model Y SUV (about 15.7 feet). Previously, Elon Musk decided to cancel the highly anticipated low-cost electric vehicle project in 2024 and shift the company’s focus to robotaxi and humanoid robots. Whether this latest attempt to develop a smaller SUV signals a strategic return to mass-market autonomous electric vehicles, or if the new vehicle will better align with Tesla’s vision of fully autonomous driving cars, remains a key question. According to sources and an employee, the model may serve both purposes simultaneously. The employee declined to confirm or deny any specific vehicle details but stated that overall, Tesla’s current goal is to develop vehicles that are autonomous but offer manual driving options. (Jin10) (Source: ODaily)