Tesla has long teased a Model Y, or fourth production car for its lineup, which will be another SUV, this time a compact likely with a more attractive and generally palatable price point. The Model Y fits with Tesla’s schoolyard humor name scheme, bringing the “S3X” model lineup to its natural, “S3XY” conclusion. Now, it looks like we could learn more about the Y shortly.
While Musk replied publicly to a tweet from a fan that we’re not likely to see a Y for “a few years” yet, Musk noted in a direct message to Ars Technica (via Elecktrek) that “Next week” is when we can expect to here more about a prospective fourth model.
That’s not much to go on, but paired with his acknowledgement that a “Y” is an inevitability, if only because of his commitment to the daddest joke of all time.
Musk also brought up the Model Y on an earnings call last year, noting that it would be the focus after the Model 3, specifically because it’s going to be the next strongest offering Tesla can put forward in terms of demand. That’s also when he laid out that it would take the shape of a compact SUV. It’s likely the Y will be built on the same basic platform as the Model 3, which is designed to support different chassis configurations for different purposes.
It’s not clear at all how this news will arrive, but keep your eyes on Musk’s Twitter – he tends to reveal a lot of salient details related to Tesla’s business in 140 character increments.
Model X pictured above, since Model Y is not yet an actual thing.