Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
A New Tesla for $25,000? Company Looks to Slash Vehicle Price Tags
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
March 2, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Tesla says it will cut the cost of its next generation of vehicles in half, largely by using innovative manufacturing techniques and smaller factories.

CEO Elon Musk and other executives outlined the goals during a 3 1/2-hour investor day presentation at Tesla’s Austin, Texas, headquarters Wednesday as they presented the company’s third master plan.

The changes could bring the cost of a new generation of vehicles to around $25,000. Many investors were hoping to catch a glimpse of the next generation vehicles, but Musk said they wouldn’t be shown until a proper product unveiling.

“We’d be jumping the gun if we answer your question,” about the new vehicles, he told an analyst.

Shares of Tesla fell nearly 6% in after-hours trading during the presentation that ended just after 8 p.m. Eastern time.

Musk announced that Tesla plans to build a new factory in Mexico near Monterrey. Company executives said it will not take production from any other factories, where Tesla expects to expand production. They said the Mexican plant would build the next generation of vehicles, which also will be built at other factories.

It’s likely that the next generation vehicles will be smaller than the current ones to bring the prices down, but that wasn’t clear from the presentation. Many automakers build smaller vehicles in Mexico to save on labor costs and preserve profit margins.

CFRA Analyst Garrett Nelson attributed the drop in Tesla’s stock to the lack of details on the new vehicles as well as the company’s history of seeing its share price rise ahead of big events, only to fall when the actual news is made.

He said the company’s long-term focus may have disappointed some investors, but he sees Tesla’s vision as justifying its high stock valuation versus other automakers.

“What they outlined really made the case that it deserves to trade at a big premium to the rest of the industry,” he said.

Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla’s design chief, said the company must make another sharp reduction in costs in order to reach its ambitious electric-vehicle production target of 20 million vehicles per year by 2030. Tesla expects to manufacture 1.8 million this year.

Less Expensive Factories

The company, he said, will build the cars in smaller modular units, then bring those units together. The system uses less space. Executives said as a result, its next electric powertrain factory will be half the size of the one Tesla just built in Austin, costing 65% less.

“That also means we can build more factories at the same time,” said Tom Zhu, who leads Tesla manufacturing.

Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn said the company cut costs in half between the early Models S and X and the second generation, Models 3 and Y. It’s planning to do that again for the next generation, but also will improve the cars at the same time, he said.

The company also said it would design vehicles so they have fewer wires and transistors, and use fewer expensive rare-Earth metals in the batteries.

“As we improve affordability, the number of customers who have access to our products increases,” Kirkhorn said.

Musk said demand for Tesla vehicles is large, but many who want one now can’t afford them.

Executives said Tesla is unique from other automakers because all the people involved in vehicle design and manufacturing are in the same room. The company also designs and makes many of its parts and software while others rely on tiers of parts supply companies.

The company also said it has opened 10 of its supercharger stations to owners of other electric vehicles as of Wednesday. And it plans to offer a package of unlimited home charging for $30 per month in Texas using wind as the power source.

Kirkhorn said the new master plan includes product advances, rapid volume growth and technology advancement.

Musk began the session saying there is a clear path to sustainable energy on Earth, but it will take changing just about everything from fossil fuel power to electricity generated by renewable sources. The Earth can support more people than it does now without destroying natural habitats or huge austerity, he said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Hamas Set to Free US-Israeli Hostage, Israel Says No Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

US-China Tariff Delay Gives Fed Fresh Reason to Sit Tight on Rates

DON'T MISS

The TikTok Effect: Viral Videos Create the Next Travel Hotspots

DON'T MISS

‘The Studio’ Knows the Real Reason Movies Are Bad

DON'T MISS

US-China Tariff Talks to Continue Sunday, an Official Tells The Associated Press

DON'T MISS

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

DON'T MISS

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

DON'T MISS

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

DON'T MISS

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

DON'T MISS

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

UP NEXT

US-China Tariff Talks to Continue Sunday, an Official Tells The Associated Press

UP NEXT

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

UP NEXT

Tariff Talks Begin Between US and Chinese Officials in Geneva

UP NEXT

Wall Street Drifts as It Waits for a Highly Anticipated US-China Meeting on Trade

UP NEXT

Panasonic to Cut 10,000 Jobs, Expects $900 Million in Restructuring Costs

UP NEXT

US Postal Service Reports $3.3 Billion Quarterly Net Loss

UP NEXT

Shohei Ohtani Could Have Landed 15-Year Deal, Agent Says, but He Didn’t Want to Risk Skills Decline

UP NEXT

White House Overhaul of Troubled US Air Traffic Control System Will Cost ‘Lots of Billions’

UP NEXT

Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Steady at 6.76%, Near Highest Levels This Year

UP NEXT

President Trump Announces Trade Deal With Britain

‘The Studio’ Knows the Real Reason Movies Are Bad

1 day ago

US-China Tariff Talks to Continue Sunday, an Official Tells The Associated Press

2 days ago

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

2 days ago

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

2 days ago

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

2 days ago

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

2 days ago

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

2 days ago

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

2 days ago

Tax the Rich? Slash Spending? Republicans Wrestle With Economic Priorities in the Trump Era

2 days ago

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 23 in Gaza as Outcry Over Aid Blockade Grows

2 days ago

Hamas Set to Free US-Israeli Hostage, Israel Says No Ceasefire

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Hamas will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza on Monday, the Palestinian militant group s...

53 seconds ago

People gather, on the day Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack, is expected to be released from captivity by Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
53 seconds ago

Hamas Set to Free US-Israeli Hostage, Israel Says No Ceasefire

The Federal Reserve building is seen in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
5 minutes ago

US-China Tariff Delay Gives Fed Fresh Reason to Sit Tight on Rates

1 day ago

The TikTok Effect: Viral Videos Create the Next Travel Hotspots

1 day ago

‘The Studio’ Knows the Real Reason Movies Are Bad

2 days ago

US-China Tariff Talks to Continue Sunday, an Official Tells The Associated Press

2 days ago

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

2 days ago

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

The Clovis Police Department identified two suspects they have arrested in connection with the murder of Caleb Quick, 18, at a Saturday, May 10, 2025, news conference. (GV Wire Composite)
2 days ago

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend