(Image source from: Ndtv.com)

Tesla, a leading company in electric vehicles, is said to be working on a brand new, small electric SUV that will be less expensive and smaller than its current entry-level cars, according to a report by Reuters. This initiative is believed to indicate a renewed effort to offer affordable electric vehicles, two years after CEO Elon Musk had paused a previous low-cost electric vehicle project linked to the "Model 2" idea. The new SUV is described as a smaller model, different in style from the Model 3 and Model Y, rather than just an alternative version of the existing designs. It is expected to be around 4.28 meters long, making it significantly smaller than the Model Y, which is about 4.75 meters long. Reports indicate that Tesla plans to maintain the car's weight close to 1.5 metric tons, reduced from the approximately two tons of the Model Y, as part of a strategy to cut costs.In order to lower the price, the new vehicle is likely to come with a smaller battery, which means it will have a shorter driving range compared to the Model Y's approximate 526 kilometers.

It may also be equipped with a single electric motor instead of the two-motor setup seen in many current Tesla models, which would help to simplify production and lower costs. The expected pricing for this SUV is significantly below that of the Model 3, allowing it to fit better into the mass-market category. Production for the new SUV is planned to begin at Tesla's Gigafactory located in Shanghai, with the intention of eventually moving production to the United States and Europe if the project goes ahead, according to the report. However, this project is still in its early stages, and Reuters notes that a solid date for beginning production has yet to be established. Tesla has not made any official comments about the report, but this development indicates a possible shift in focus after the company redirected its attention towards robot axis and self-driving vehicles for 2024.