Is a Tesla Minivan in the Works? Nah, Probably “Something Cooler,” Elon Musk Says
The company boss previously teased an urban transport Tesla, and he now hints it might arrive soon.
Elon Musk doesn’t shy away from hinting about future Tesla vehicles on his social media platform. He also has a penchant for making promises and either never delivering on them or taking forever for them to come to fruition. It’s why we’re taking a recent response he gave to another post on X with a grain of salt. But it’s still worth exploring.
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Back in 2016, Tesla released “Master Plan Part Deux,” and detailed two categories ripe for electrification. “In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high-passenger-density urban transport.” At the time, Musk reiterated these mystery vehicles were in the “early stages of development,” but only one really became reality with the Tesla Semi. Well, mostly, anyway; the all-electric semi-truck hasn’t entered full production mode yet.
Now, in response to a post on X from a fan asking for a Tesla minivan, Musk said, “Something way cooler than a minivan is coming.” The only other clue to this being a larger vehicle is the fact that the fan’s post is a response to a Musk tweet about the Cybertruck being able to fit three child seats in the rear. Regardless, we’re a bit confused by this announcement versus the direction Tesla outlined for the company during its past quarterly reports.
In those calls, Tesla said it was focusing on non-consumer vehicles like the Cybercab and its robotaxi service. It also said production of the Optimus generation-three android and AI chips for Grok and Full Self Driving are also part of its pivot from primarily building consumer vehicles. Additionally, Optimus is the reason the Model S and X will end production this year, as production in Fremont, California, will shift to making robots.
At the same time, however, Tesla is still committed to production of the Model 3, Y, and Cybertruck, along with allegedly its next-gen Roadster sports car. Now, word of this upcoming non-minivan, or multipurpose vehicle, is an additional signal that consumer products are still on the table. But as we mentioned, it’s not unusual for Musk to talk about a future product that may or may not get produced. So don’t hold your breath just yet, but we’ll of course continue to monitor this story as it unfolds.
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Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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