It’s Official: Tesla Axes $25k Traditional EV

• Tesla executives gathered on a webcast for the company’s third quarter financial results call, and Musk explained the future of the non-self-driving, $25,000 car.
  

• Elon Musk: “Basically, having a regular $25k model is pointless.”

• Musk clarifies that the CyberCab is going to take the position of this $25k car; it will just be optimized for autonomy.

If you were holding out for your budget-friendly Tesla, it looks like you might have to stop waiting. Despite pushback earlier this year from Musk, Tesla is moving away from its promise of a $25k machine, at least one that you can drive yourself. Musk made this clear during Tesla’s third-quarter financial report webcast earlier this week.

We’ve assumed that this low-priced EV was going to be shelved earlier this year, after looking over a report from Reuters. However, it’s not as cut and dry as you’d assume from an automaker.

During the call, Musk clarifies, “we’re not making a non-robotaxi. I think we’ve made it very clear that the future is autonomous.” Musk explains that he feels that the future for the automotive space is battery-electric autonomous vehicles, and paints traditional, self-driven ICE-powered vehicles as an equivalent to owning horses.

Going further, Musk is looking at the looming CyberCab to fill the space of the once-expected $25,000 EV. Considering the CyberCab won’t have traditional vehicle controls, it will be impossible to operate without autonomous technology. Of course, Musk, possibly optimistically, said that the CyberCab should hit public roads before 2027.

Musk said about the CyberCab, “It will cost roughly $25K, so it is a $25K car. And, you will be able to buy one exclusively if you want—it just won’t have a steering wheel or pedals.”

Of course, it’s always worth taking comments like these with a few grains of salt. Musk himself said that he tends to be optimistic about Tesla’s production cycle during the CyberCab event, so the pricing and timeline of the CyberCab should still be worth watching as it progresses through development.

You can listen to this full financial call yourself in the embedded video above.

Did you ever think Tesla would build a $25,000 EV? Do you think the CyberCab will fill the void? Tell us your thoughts below.