When Reuters reported in April that Tesla had scrapped plans for a long-promised, next-generation $25,000 electric vehicle, the automaker’s stock plunged. Chief Executive Elon Musk rushed to respond on X, his social-media network.

“Reuters is lying,” he posted, without elaborating. Tesla’s stock recovered some of its losses.

Six months later, Musk appears to have backed into an admission that Tesla dropped its plans for a human-driven $25,000 car. He said in an Oct. 23 earnings call that building the affordable EV would be "pointless” unless the car was fully autonomous.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    “We can’t make an affordable Tesla unless we come up with something that would make it too expensive.”

    Gotcha.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      Until we tax them ridiculously (50-100%) to keep things “fair” for the american auto makers that refuse to build anything smaller than a chevorlet suburban.

    • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      I so badly just want a tiny electric vehicle. I don’t travel much. Just need it to go around town and maybe a town over.

          • ripcord@lemmy.world
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            16 days ago

            Get a couple year old one then.

            If you’re on a budget why would you be looking at brand new cars?

            • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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              16 days ago

              China cars are like 3k-5k. I can afford that. Like even one of the China trucks is like 6k-7k or something. I don’t mind getting used, I just don’t want to spend 30k. Or really even above 10k.

      • ChowJeeBai@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        Do you need windows? Renault has a couple of small ones, the Twizy and Zoe, in order of size. Dunno if they’re still available. Else in my country they have the BYD dolphin and Smart One Plus.

            • glimse@lemmy.world
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              16 days ago

              Il not saying DON’T do vote in local elections but solves the problem…in a decade or two…and it requires buy-in from surrounding districts.

              It unfortunately does not address the short term needs of commuters

              • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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                16 days ago

                And if we never build it it will never address the needs of commuters. Your government doesn’t think twice about a new road or expanding an existing one but will delay transit for years.

                • glimse@lemmy.world
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                  16 days ago

                  Sure, but it’s not a one-or-the-other thing. The best solution now is to get a cheap EV AND vote for public transit

  • x00z@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    How can somebody just shout “they’re lying” to get their stock back up and get away with it?