Tesla’s Next Electric Car To Be The Tesla Model E? (Trademark Request Filed)

August 22nd, 2013 by Nicholas Brown

Originally published on EV Obsession.

Everyone knows that Tesla Motors is planning future designs. A lot of enthusiasm is centered around a more affordable electric car (about half the price of the Model S) that will be produced in much greater volumes. However, details have not yet been released, not even a name. But according to a recent filing, it seems the name may end up being “Tesla Model E.” Tesla Motors recently applied for a trademark for the name “Model E” referring to “automobiles and structural parts therefor.”

Tesla Model S.
Image Credit: Tesla Motors.

Could the E stand for economy? Or perhaps efficient? Tesla Motors co-founder, CEO, and Product Architect Elon Musk has promised that the “sort of affordable” electric car mentioned above would be in production by 2017. Tesla Motors will first release the Model X electric SUV (at the end of 2015).

Currently, the new, smaller sedan is internally code-named Blue Star, with the Model S being referred to as White Star, according to Green Car Reports.

What do you think of the name Model E? Any thoughts on what else the E could stand for?

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Tags: Next generation of Tesla vehicles, Tesla, Tesla Model C, Tesla Model E

About the Author

Nicholas Brown writes on CleanTechnica, Gas2, Kleef&Co, and Green Building Elements. He has a keen interest in physics-intensive topics such as electricity generation, refrigeration and air conditioning technology, energy storage, and geography. His website is: Kompulsa.com.

Anonymouse

Models “S” “E” & “X”

hmmmmm…
- nick
  
  Most Luxury cars are about 50k in now days. BMW, Lexus, Acura, Benz, Porsche, etc The higher end of luxury cars are normally 80-100k that can be bought by many people sometime in their lifetime. So Tesla’s car prices do compete on a normal level. Chrysler 300, chevy impala, Ford Taurus and suburu are not considered luxury cars. Cadillacs and Lincolns are considered luxury that is why I want to know where can u get a brew new navigator or escallade fully loaded for 35k, more like 70-80k. They are also not top of the line cars like Bently, maybach, auston martin, mosseratti, or ferrari.
J_JamesM

I see Chrysler 300s everywhere. I suspect they’re popular because they have that swaggering, “boss” look to them. Like a mobster-mobile, only with a bit more class. The performance is very solid, they’re surprisingly efficient thanks to an automatic gearbox with plentiful ratios and a clever cylinder-deactivation system.

Considering the popularity of big sedans with big personality that are more frugal than first glances would suggest, imagine for a moment how popular a $35,000 Tesla will be.

It’s incredibly cheap to run, and blows notions like MPG into obsolescence. It costs about the same as a Chevy Volt. The performance is almost assuredly going to be excellent. The range will be double that of conventional electric cars, alleviating most range anxiety. The fastback and frunk will allow it to be imminently practical.

Imagine how people will lust after this car. It’s a novel brand with a cool name, a cool logo and a sterling reputation. The car itself will probably look like sex on wheels. They have green cred, race cred, and nerd cred.

The only problem I forsee is making enough of them to meet demand.
ekw0357

E for Elaine! . . . Because Scott already has his Model S!
The ‘His’, Model S and ‘Hers’, Model E will look great parked next to each other in the garage! Thanks Elon! LOL
Marion Meads

E for Excuse. The Model E would be an Excuse of Tesla so that it can drag its feet in producing a truly mass affordable electric car. Fleece the dumb sheep while you can!
- J_JamesM
  
  I don’t know about you, but in my part of the world, entry-level luxury cars, pickups and SUVs routinely cost in the $35,000 range. Like the popular Chrysler 300, or the Buick Lacrosse, or the Chevy Impala, or the Ford Taurus, etc… That’s pretty much affordable by your average American, except the destitute. Maybe you’ll have to save up a bit, wait until retirement or something, but generally speaking a $35,000 car is affordable by most people.
  
  Hardly worth calling people “dumb sheep” over. And I doubt Tesla has some sinister ulterior motive about it either; there is a genuine technological hurdle for producing a cheaper electric car, in case you haven’t noticed.
  - Marion
    
    Thanks for admitting that you put your foot in your mouth by agreeing that $35K car is not for mass market but entry level luxury. What is the median car price for mass market? Please dont act stoopeed or having amnesia.
    - J_JamesM
      
      Are you kidding me? What on earth is your definition of “mass market,” is it “free?” Just because something is ENTRY-LEVEL luxury does not make it unobtainable. $35,000 is not a purchase most people make on a whim, but it is something that most Americans or couples can afford at least at some point in their lives. By the way, $35,000 is less than pretty much the entire lineup of luxury brands like Cadillac. If you think 35k isn’t mass market, then you must think that half the new cars on the road today are not “mass market!”
      
      Oh, and by the way, the average car sold today is $30,000. I GUESS THAT ISN’T MASS MARKET EITHER?
      
      I consider something to not be on the “mass market” if it’s something that the VAST MAJORITY of people can NEVER afford. Like a Lamborghini Aventador. Or even a Mercedes CLS.
      - Marion Meads
        
        Don’t you know that there is a world of difference between median and average? Where did you go to school?
      - SteveEV
        
        Complaints and insults add nothing to a conversation. Perhaps you could share your expectations with our fellow readers that they may better understand your frustration. Eventually an auto maker will build the vehicle you desire but only when they know the market exists.
      - J_JamesM
        
        What kind of unholy B.S. is this? What does it matter what the median car price is? The average was all I could find, and I neither mistook it to be the median nor did I falsely claim it was the median.
        
        Look: “Average car price tops $31,000.”
        
        http://m.jsonline.com/more/business/average-new-car-price-tops-31000-b9925019z1-209934441.html
        
        Huff and puff all you like, $35,000 is still Subaru Forrester money.
      - J_JamesM
        
        I would also think that the average price also more accurately reflects what is affordable by most people. You see, in the real world, what’s considered “average” is actually a RANGE of prices. The median gives only a single price point, which may or may not be biased towards too cheap or too expensive. With the average, you generally give a plus-or-minus 20 percent range for what’s considered “average.” Anything more is “expensive” and anything less is “cheap.”
    - Bob_Wallace
      
      Do you know the median? All I find on the web is the mean, a bit over $30k. The modal price is probably lower since, I assume, more econo-boxes than luxury cars are sold. And the median is likely higher when you consider the $1 million plus offerings.
      
      But is that how we should define “mass market”? I don’t think so.
      
      And I certainly don’t think of $35k as getting into the luxury range. You can buy well-equipped versions of such mainstream sedans as Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry for $30,000 to $35,000.
    - Howard Marks
      
      How much in 10 years would you spend on fuel and repairs on say a $25,000 ICE car.
      Now compare that to $35,000 TESLA EV with no gas or repair bills. Lets make it $36,000 if you have to pay one time fee for access to the SUPERCHARGER network for the life of the car.
      That is the car not the battery you could always buy another battery pack after 14 years and of course the replacement will have more range for less money.
Darko

E for Elon!
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  Ha, maybe!
- flux_capacitor
  
  E for Everyone.
Greg Papay

Electric
Excellent
Empirical
Elegant
Ephemeral

http://www.teslamodels.wordpress.com
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  Ha, first one a possibility… not sure about the others…
  
  Btw, have Elon & team ever revealed what the S stands for? My impression is that they haven’t but that everyone assumes it’s for Sedan.