Tesla Roadster (Photo : Twitter)
Tesla stocks spiked over four percent after CEO Elon Musk tweeted on July 10, Sunday that his electric car company had a new masterplan. The Twitter post follows reports of the automaker's first fatal crash involving an electric vehicle (EV) in semi-autonomous Autopilot mode, and the company missing its auto production target. However, the car maker's chief executive already published an article around a decade ago about the "Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan."
Musk tweeted that he was working on Part 2 of the company's masterplan. He also wrote that he hoped he could publish it later this week.
Tesla's chief executive did not originally think the e-car maker would survive. It is very difficult for car companies to compete against the "Big Three" American automakers: GM, Ford, and Chrysler.
New technologies are often more expensive than the average consumer can afford. Tesla's first model Roadster had an exorbitant price of $109,000.
The trend also happened with the first personal computers, cell phones, high-end digital cameras, and flat-screen TVs, according to CleanTechnica. Meanwhile, Ford's Model T that rolled out in 1908 would cost about $22,000 today.
The first cars were sold to rich people and brought automakers high profit margins. They could invest the money in R&D and production to reduce costs for the general public.
In Musk's 2006 master plan article he stated that he wanted to boost and speed up the EV industry. This would help to bring green energy to society.
Musk stated that the company's goal was not to build fast electric sports cars. Tesla instead wanted to produce a wide range of models including family cars, and in fact the Model 3 will have a base price of $35,000.
SpaceX's founder also noted that he wanted to move society away from a "mine-and-burn" economy to a solar electric economy.
One possible idea for the master plan would be electric robot taxis that pick up people at prices lower than standard taxicabs or Uber rides. Another option could be a mix of solar energy and storage packages that would remove electricity from the power grid.
In related news, Musk also recently proposed an unpopular Tesla merger with solar panel company SolarCity, arguing it would combine Tesla batteries and solar panels into a beautiful new product, according to BBC. This could hint at Masterplan Part 2.
Here's a Tesla Model 3 first-ride:
