Tesla is preparing a hatchback to compete with the Volkswagen ID.3

After several ups and downs over recent months, the company of the South African magnate Elon Musk is working on a hatchback that will be positioned as the entry-level vehicle in its range, in a very attractive market segment in which the brand has not yet ventured.

We do not yet know what the name of this Tesla hatchback will be, although it is rumoured that its final name will be Tesla Model 2. The British magazine Autocar has announced that the compact will reach the market in 2023, a somewhat optimistic date considering that before it, the Tesla Cybertruck, the Roadster and the Semi must be launched. Several models we have been hearing about for quite some time.

The American compact aims to compete head-on with the Volkswagen ID. 3, the Nissan Leaf, the Citroën ë-c4 or the Kia Niro, among others, establishing itself as an affordable product with a generous level of equipment.

With a product like this, a compact priced at around 21,000 euros, Tesla could build up substantial demand, considering that its Model 3 has been a great success in terms of sales, despite being a car sold from just over 46,000 euros, a price more than double that of our protagonist.

Styling in the same vein as its siblings

Stylistically, it will follow the line we already know from the brand with the Model 3, the Model S and the Model X, but featuring a distinctive rear end as it is a hatchback model.

The great weapon this compact will have is its battery. Batteries that will feature new technology allowing range to increase by up to 16%, production costs to be reduced by up to 50%, and up to five times more energy.

Long range thanks to its new technology

The hatchback’s range will be around 400 kilometres. A really good figure considering that its main rival, the entry-level version of the ID.3, has a range of around 330 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.

A few months ago we told you that production of Tesla’s small car would take place in China, specifically at the brand’s Shanghai plant, but according to Autocar, vehicles destined for the European market will be built at the large American brand’s factory in Germany, due to the high demand expected for the affordable hatchback.