In the annual meeting earlier this week Elon also said that that the Gen 3 will be "in a lot of ways a smaller version of the Model S, at half the price."
2013 Shareholder Meeting | Tesla Motors at 31:30-31:45
There was a direct question asked at 54:30, to which Elon provided the following answer (excerpts):
"So, with the third generation vehicle, we expect it to be 'in family' with the Model S, so you'll see, like, a sort of strong family resemblance."
"But with that third generation, we want to try to think of some interesting things we can do that go beyond simply scaling down the Model S and scaling up volume. We haven't thought of anything really big right now."
"If we get lucky, maybe we can incorporate some of the auto-pilot or self-driving elements into that vehicle."
With this and the comments about comparisons to the 3-series and A4, I think that ideas of a significant departure from the Model S aren't likely to be implemented (e.g., little hatchbacks, substantially different body style...). That isn't to say that different body styles won't be offered (e.g., a shooting brake), but I don't think we are looking at a "fresh sheet of paper" on body style. At the risk of covering the same ground as other threads, what suggestions do we have for the Gen 3 with this in mind?
For example, as regards body style, I have suggested a little more aggressive curve at the wheels. This is potentially a bit at tension with the aero criterion.
Looking at the Aston Martin Vanquish, Vantage, and Rapide (top to bottom in the combo-pic below), I view them to be similar in body style, but the Vanquish has a bit more curve around the hips/wheels. The Rapide is more like the Vantage, albeit in a larger, 4-door body.
I posit that these three cars are all "in family," but I prefer a Vanquish to the Vantage or Rapide bodies. What do you folks think?
The main difference I see is that today there is a common body style trend in having the car start low, with a hood that isn't far above the top of the front tire, and rise as you travel to the back of the car the top of the car is close to a foot higher than the top of the tire. Extreme examples of this are seen in the Prius, but it is very common today. Automakers also tend to have the door handles at this angle. Here are a few cars with this look.
The Model S has this too, to some extent, though it definitely has more curve to it than the Prius, Cruze, and C Class directly above.
So to me, making the Gen 3 more of a Vanquish than a Vantage would be a good thing, and I don't undertand it to be necessary to have the wedge design, without curves at the fenders/wheels, to keep a car's cost down or sell a car to the mass market.
As regards other things that can be done while maintaining a family resemblance and being recognizable as a Tesla, I view this to really be an exterior question, so I'm not getting into interior questions, though I don't own a Model S, so I'm not sure that I have a basis for suggestions, and I think there are several other places on TMC where people have made suggestions on the interior. I also won't get into the nose cone, as I think there is a pretty clear record on how people feel on that issue.
So what do you folks think?
2013 Shareholder Meeting | Tesla Motors at 31:30-31:45
There was a direct question asked at 54:30, to which Elon provided the following answer (excerpts):
"So, with the third generation vehicle, we expect it to be 'in family' with the Model S, so you'll see, like, a sort of strong family resemblance."
"But with that third generation, we want to try to think of some interesting things we can do that go beyond simply scaling down the Model S and scaling up volume. We haven't thought of anything really big right now."
"If we get lucky, maybe we can incorporate some of the auto-pilot or self-driving elements into that vehicle."
With this and the comments about comparisons to the 3-series and A4, I think that ideas of a significant departure from the Model S aren't likely to be implemented (e.g., little hatchbacks, substantially different body style...). That isn't to say that different body styles won't be offered (e.g., a shooting brake), but I don't think we are looking at a "fresh sheet of paper" on body style. At the risk of covering the same ground as other threads, what suggestions do we have for the Gen 3 with this in mind?
For example, as regards body style, I have suggested a little more aggressive curve at the wheels. This is potentially a bit at tension with the aero criterion.
Looking at the Aston Martin Vanquish, Vantage, and Rapide (top to bottom in the combo-pic below), I view them to be similar in body style, but the Vanquish has a bit more curve around the hips/wheels. The Rapide is more like the Vantage, albeit in a larger, 4-door body.
I posit that these three cars are all "in family," but I prefer a Vanquish to the Vantage or Rapide bodies. What do you folks think?
The main difference I see is that today there is a common body style trend in having the car start low, with a hood that isn't far above the top of the front tire, and rise as you travel to the back of the car the top of the car is close to a foot higher than the top of the tire. Extreme examples of this are seen in the Prius, but it is very common today. Automakers also tend to have the door handles at this angle. Here are a few cars with this look.
The Model S has this too, to some extent, though it definitely has more curve to it than the Prius, Cruze, and C Class directly above.
So to me, making the Gen 3 more of a Vanquish than a Vantage would be a good thing, and I don't undertand it to be necessary to have the wedge design, without curves at the fenders/wheels, to keep a car's cost down or sell a car to the mass market.
As regards other things that can be done while maintaining a family resemblance and being recognizable as a Tesla, I view this to really be an exterior question, so I'm not getting into interior questions, though I don't own a Model S, so I'm not sure that I have a basis for suggestions, and I think there are several other places on TMC where people have made suggestions on the interior. I also won't get into the nose cone, as I think there is a pretty clear record on how people feel on that issue.
So what do you folks think?