Tesla has electrified the market with its Model S, 3, X and Y, redefining what a “cool car” means. But there’s one letter missing from that alphabet – the Tesla Model 1, which could herald a new era: a compact, affordable and everyday electric SUV priced at €25,000.
Europe, where drivers love crossovers like Italians love espresso, has been yearning for years for an urban, electric car with character and without the price of a high-end sedan. Urban SUV segment, where, for example, VW T-Cross and Renault Captur, is reaping sales records. And Tesla? It hasn't said its last word yet. But if it does, it might sound like "Tesla Model 1".
What We're Missing (and Why It Matters)
Tesla has already proven with the Model 3 that it can appeal to a wider audience, but it is still not quite a "people's car" - at least not by European standards. Tesla Model 1 would fill this crucial gap. A small SUV, about 4 meters long, would be A big step for Tesla, but an even bigger leap for the European buyer.
Specifications that (would) sing to your heart and wallet
- Power: 170 hp (125 kW) – more than enough to overcome city traffic and the ego of a diesel Audi driver. Option of an additional small motor on the front axle, for 4×4 drive up to 40 km/h.
- Acceleration: around 7 seconds to 100 km/h – to get your heart racing even at the roundabout.
- Reach: ~400 km (WLTP) – because “range anxiety” is no longer in fashion. / battery net around 55 kWh.
- Price: around €25,000 – which is considered a kind of Holy Grail number in the automotive world today.
The Tesla Model 1 wouldn't just be a cheaper, kid-sized Model Y. It would be technological condensate with all the Tesla trump cards: a large screen, OTA updates, autopilot and – almost certainly – a function that allows the car to find you in the parking lot while you're still looking for a token for the shopping cart.
Aesthetics: Baby-Y with big ambitions
If it existed, the Model 1 would look like this downsized Model Y following the Mediterranean diet – aerodynamic, clean, without unnecessary design excesses. The interior? Tesla minimalism, with a touch of Scandinavian ascetic elegance, which behaves as if it has more space than it actually does.
Smarter than the average first-year computer science student
A vehicle that constantly updating only, can park itself and even obeys your voice commands, would have been considered science fiction just a few years ago. But today, hearing “Hey Tesla, warm up the car and play my playlist for Friday’s drive” almost seems too common.
Why €25,000 is the revolution it would bring – Tesla Model 1
At a time when electric cars with a range of over 350 km still often exceed 35 thousand, a price of around €25,000 would shuffled the cardsThe Tesla Model 1 would be the first step into electric mobility for many – and the first car to remind them that charging with an app isn't something they have to study for three days.
And Tesla wouldn't be Tesla if it weren't already hiding plans in Gigafactory Berlin to do it with half the parts, in half the time, and for a third of the cost. (Or at least that's what Elon Musk promises. Repeatedly.)
Comparison with reality: competitors should tremble if the Tesla Model 1 arrives
Compact electric SUVs such as Honda e:Ny1, Renault 5, Peugeot e-2008, and upcoming VW ID.2, can start preparing for serious competition today. The numbers in the table are clear – Tesla could offer better performance, longer range, better user experience and for less money.
The biggest advantage? Ecosystem. Once you enter the Tesla world, where the car talks to your solar power plant and plans its own route to Norway with stops at Superchargers, the classic car experience feels like sleeping in a tent - while hotels exist.
Conclusion: Will we be driving the Model 1 soon?
If (when?) Tesla releases the Model 1, this will be plate movement in the automotive industry. Such a vehicle would be in Europe exactly what the Ford Model T was in the US a century ago – a symbol of mobility for the masses. But with the addition of Wi-Fi, automatic parking and an app for heated seats.
For now, the Model 1 is just a vision. But if Tesla has taught us anything, it's that sometimes the distance between dreams and reality isn't long - just a few tweets, an investment day, and a couple of gigafactories.
