Tesla plans to build a 25,000-euro ($26,838) car at its factory near Berlin, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Monday, in a long-awaited development for the electric vehicle maker which is aiming for mass uptake of its cars.
According to a German media report, BYD's first EV factory in Europe will be built in Hungary. Officially, however, the Chinese manufacturer will not announce the location of the first European plant until the end of the year.
to be fair - with Stellantis, there IS a 23k EV you can order and buy, starting next month.
It's more than likely Tesla would try to enter the same price span. They do still offer relatively cheap cars in each segment, and with knowledge regarding Gigapress and battery technology, they could easily do it.
But I have my doubts they'd do so in Germany. My bet is Mexico
There is the e-c3 that should be available in a few months around 23k, then the Renault R5 that should cost 25k and the Volkswagen ID.2 that should be around this price too in 2025.
There is a lot of competition arriving in this segment which is great.
Chief Executive Elon Musk visited the plant in Gruenheide on Friday and thanked staff for their hard work, a video showed on social media platform X.
Still, sources told Reuters in September the carmaker was closing in on an innovation that would allow it to die cast nearly all of the underbody of the EV in one piece, a breakthrough that would speed up production and lower costs.
But a weak economy and high interest rates have hit demand for electric vehicles, prompting Tesla and others to cut prices in recent months in an attempt to boost sales.
Local authorities said in October they had asked the carmaker to submit further information on how its expansion plans would adhere to nature conservation laws and would then make a decision on whether to approve them, without providing a timeframe.
Tesla also informed workers on Friday that all staff would receive a 4% pay rise from November onwards, with production workers receiving an additional 2,500 euros per year from February 2024 - equivalent to an 18% pay rise in 1-1/2 years.
German union IG Metall said in 2022 that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under collective bargaining agreements at other carmakers.
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