Elon Musk announced the upcoming launch of 3 new Tesla vehicles during the annual shareholder meeting held on June 13, 2024. After a slow start to the year, the billionaire aims to get his company back on track. Musk also confirms that the future of the company lies in the development of Optimus.
Three New Teslas Coming Soon
“It is evident that we are working on new products,” were the words of Elon Musk spoken on Thursday, June 13. Tesla’s CEO confirmed that the company was working on developing new electric cars at a crucial time when sales have been stagnant. Tesla needs a new direction, and Elon Musk is well aware of it.
Displaying a slide with illustrations of three vehicles under white cloths, the billionaire stated that new cars were in the works. No details were revealed, but Musk simply mentioned they would be “very special.” One of the models could be a kind of van, while the other two resemble more conventional cars. Among these three vehicles, the famous robotaxi is certainly included.
Tesla has promised to reveal more about this future autonomous shuttle on August 8, a project that has been long anticipated. Musk intends to accelerate the launch schedule for the new models. Though the Model 3 and Model Y are popular, they cannot sustain the company’s growth indefinitely. Musk predicts that new vehicles “should arrive by late 2024 or early 2025.”
In Tesla’s Master Plan Part 3 unveiled in April 2024, the brand hinted at the possible release of a compact car and a van. However, with Tesla, timelines often tend to be longer than expected. For instance, the Cybertruck was introduced in 2019 but was only commercially available by the end of 2023. Nonetheless, the company seems to be aware of the situation.
Tesla Optimus: A Core Product in the Strategy
During the conference, Elon Musk also focused on the development of the Optimus robot and AI-related technologies. It appears that the company is placing considerable emphasis on this area, perhaps even more than on electric vehicles, for its future. Musk mentioned that Tesla could eventually produce “100 million robots per year,” translating to a profit of 1 trillion dollars.
He believes that this new market could potentially elevate the company’s value to 30 trillion dollars someday. Two initial Optimus robots are already operating in one of Tesla’s factories, with a plan to have 1,000 humanoids in service by 2025. This marks a paradigm shift in automobile production.
Tesla Cybertruck in Europe?
Musk also made a statement about the Cybertruck, which is currently only available in North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), but this could change in the upcoming months. Tesla may “certify the model for other markets in the course of next year,” with a focus on Europe.
Initially designed to meet the needs of North American customers, Musk is confident that there will be demand for the Cybertruck worldwide. To sell it abroad, Tesla will need to create a special version that complies with European or Chinese standards. Unlike the US, Europe imposes strict safety regulations for pedestrians.
Adapting the Cybertruck to be less hazardous in European cities may pose a challenge, but anything is possible. Potential European buyers will need to navigate a vehicle that was not designed for narrow streets in cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Rome, or Barcelona.
Elon Musk also stated that Tesla will “cease production of Foundation models very soon.” The company will start manufacturing classic versions in the next quarter. Since the deliveries began in December 2023, only Cybertruck Foundation models have been sold, requiring customers to pay an additional $20,000.