For better or worse, Elon Musk has a habit of brightening up dull Friday afternoons and today is no different. The Tesla CEO has announced when we’ll see the Model Y crossover SUV unveiled.
The e-car pioneer says the design is almost complete with a prototype vehicle pencilled in for a March 2019 reveal. Musk floated the idea of March 15 – the infamous Ides of March – but says that was “kind of” a joke.
In a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg, Musk said: “We’ve almost finished the design in the studio of Model Y, and we will probably debut the prototype, you know, roughly in March of next year. Maybe I shouldn’t tempt fate, but I did say March 15 as kind of a joke.
“We’re a few months away from finishing the design. You finish the broad brush strokes, but there are still a lot of fine brush strokes. The broad brush strokes, we’re maybe a few months away from finishing.”
Related: Prime Day 2018
For those whose Roman history is a little rusty, the Ides of March marks the day Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated after his top-ranking senators conspired against him. Given recent reports suggesting Tesla shareholders might be looking to topple the founder and CEO, Musk’s attempt as humour is deliciously dark.
Model 3 ‘Hell’
Naturally, Musk was asked about Tesla’s massive struggles in getting the Model 3 off the production line and into the driveways of the 400,000+ people who pre-ordered the affordable sedan. The company finally achieved its production goal of 5,000 cars recently, with Musk saying he went through Hell to get there.
“It’s been super-hard. Like there is for sure some permanent mental scar tissue here. But I do feel good about the months to come. I think the results will speak for themselves.
Later he says: “Basically, I believe Model 3 is the last bet-the-company situation. We will still need to work hard and be vigilant and not be complacent because it is very difficult just to survive as a car company. But it will not be the same level of strain as getting to volume production of Model 3.”
Musk is also planning a new version of the Roadster sports car, a pick-up truck and a massive lorry.
Have you got an eye on the Model Y? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.