23/09/2020 16:30
Musk: Cheaper Tesla ready 'in about three years'
Tesla founder Elon Musk has announced technology that he says will make Tesla batteries cheaper and more powerful.
At a live presentation that Mr Musk labelled 'Battery Day' he also teased the possibility of a $25,000 (£19,600), fully-autonomous Tesla "in about three years time".
"This has always been our dream to make an affordable electric car," he said.
But the news didn't excite investors and $50bn was wiped off its stock market value.
The main announcement was Tesla's new larger cylindrical cells. It was claimed the new batteries will provide five times more energy, six times more power and 16% greater driving range.
But the technology announced is likely to take years to implement.
Tesla's approach includes integrating the battery so that it forms part of the structure of the vehicle, thereby reducing the effective weight of the battery.