Why doesn’t Tesla have any new models in the pipeline?

Aside from the experimental, oddball, low-volume Cybertruck, Tesla has nothing new in its showrooms and nothing on the horizon. Instead, 7 years after it’s original debut, the Model 3 sedan sees a modest refresh featuring modest mechanical updates and an extremely subtle facelift. The high volume – and extremely successful – Model Y first debuted in 2019, some five years ago. Deliveries started in 2020. Since then, Tesla has made no visual or mechanical updates to the Y aside from wildly fluctuating pricing, trim-level edits, and a change in battery chemistry for the standard range version.

What else is there?

Aside from the experimental, oddball, low-volume Cybertruck, Tesla has nothing new in its showrooms and nothing on the horizon. Instead, there’s a modest refresh to the Model 3 sedan that features zero updates to the battery or motors, and an extremely subtle facelift. The high volume, and extremely successful Model Y first debuted in 2019, some five years ago. Deliveries started in 2020. Since then Tesla has made no meaningful updates to the Y aside from a few trim level edits and a change in battery chemistry for the standard range version.

 As a company, Tesla has not been standing still. They’ve built two entirely new high-volume “Gigafactories” in Germany and Texas. They’ve launched a humanoid robot research initiative. They’ve…acquired a social media platform? They’ve…become anti-woke, right-wing activists? Well, Elon Musk has and as we all know, Elon is synonymous with Tesla.

Whatever their distractions, it is impossible to overlook how stale their lineup has become. Legacy automakers typically do major refreshes after 3 years. Tesla is different, of course. Look at the Model S, which debuted in 2012 and was refreshed in 2022 but aside from subtle changes to the front bumper, is essentially the same design today as it was 12 years ago. Meanwhile, Chinese EV makers are launching new competitors almost weekly. And notwithstanding Tesla’s continued EV market dominance in the US, competition here is not standing still either. But again, the 2024 Model Y is the same as it was 4 years ago. Tesla has created no special trim packages, and offered no new paint colors. (Different shades of red and grey don’t count). No body style derivatives. No nothing.

I guess I could understand this to some degree if there were, say, other models in the works with imminent launches. A subcompact SUV, a wagon, a three-row SUV, or even replacements for the aging S and X. But none of these are happening. Instead, news reports tell us that Musk has canceled the $25k compact and instead has decided to put all of Tesla’s growth eggs in the autonomous basket. Hmm…

 For his next trick, Musk recently tweeted that the Cybercab (nee Robotaxi) will be revealed on “8/8”, a date we all assume was picked from a dark place in the middle of a late-night ketamine trip.

Perhaps the new model will have substance to back up the hype Musk is trying to create with his announcement. Or, more likely I suspect, his design and engineering teams are scrambling feverishly to deliver a concept that was little more than an idea when he scheduled its debut. His last few big announcements – the robot, the truck, autonomy coming this year, his message to Twitter advertisers – haven’t delivered on the promises he’s made, so you’ve got to be a Musk cultist to expect anything besides a lot of big promises that most likely are more goals than imminent reality.