Tesla · Finding · Then and now · as of 23 Oct 2026

The $25,000 Tesla: what we got instead

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Proposition (held fixed): When will Tesla sell a car for about $25,000? Battery cell cost and the 4680 are covered on the 4680 page.

Cybercab is heredriving Robotaxi riders in Austin; price TBD
$36,990cheapest Model 3 today
~$4,600away from $25k (2020) adjusted for inflation (≈ $32,400)
Then vs now · the $25,000 car

From a $25,000 car in about three years to “the future is autonomous”.

Then · 22 Sep 2020 · Tesla Battery Day
22 Sep 2020 · Tesla Battery Day · 1:30:54

“about three years from now, we're confident we can make a very calm, very compelling $25,000 electric vehicle”

Now · 23 Oct 2024 · Tesla Q3 2024 earnings call
23 Oct 2024 · Tesla Q3 2024 earnings call · 37:16

“I think we've made very clear that the future is autonomous.”

Aug 2018: “maybe we could do that in three years” 15 Aug 2018 · Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee · 4:54
Sep 2020: “I was referring to a future car that will be smaller than Model 3.” 28 Sep 2020 · X post
What did not change: a price of about $25,000 · a horizon of about three years each time a date was given.
ElonsFAQ corpus · verified 2026-10-23 · unofficial archive.
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The $25,000 Tesla: from “three years” to Cybercab and a cheaper Model 3Timeline of Elon Musk statements on a 25,000 dollar Tesla: maybe in three years (August 2018); a compelling 25,000 dollar electric vehicle about three years from now (September 2020); a future car smaller than Model 3 (September 2020); asked about the 25,000 dollar non-robotaxi model, the future is autonomous (October 2024).THEN AND NOW · THE $25,000 TESLAThe $25,000 Tesla: from “three years” to Cybercab and a cheaper Model 3Aug 2018 “maybe … in three years” → Sep 2020 Battery Day “about three years from now” → a week later: “a future car that will be smaller than Model 3” → Oct 2024, asked about a $25,000 non-robotaxi model: “the future is autonomous”.2018201920202021202220232024202520262027as of 23 Oct 20261234claim with a daterestated / revisedobserved statusstatement → stated target date115 Aug 2018Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee · 4:54“… if we really work really hard i think maybe we could do that in three years”TARGET $25k car · ~2021222 Sep 2020Tesla Battery Day · 1:30:54“… about three years from now, we're confident we can make a very calm, very compelling $25,000 electric vehicle”TARGET $25k car · ~2023328 Sep 2020X post“We aren’t cutting the price of Model 3 to $25k. I was referring to a future car that will be smaller than Model 3.”TARGET “a future car”, smaller than Model 3423 Oct 2024Tesla Q3 2024 earnings call · 37:16“I think we've made very clear that the future is autonomous.”TARGET $25k question: “the future is autonomous”elonsfaq.org · sources: Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee 2018, Tesla Battery Day 2020, @elonmusk on X, Tesla Q3 2024 call · as of 23 Oct 2026 · unofficialThe $25,000 Tesla: from “three years” to Cybercab and a cheaper Model 3Timeline of Elon Musk statements on a 25,000 dollar Tesla: maybe in three years (August 2018); a compelling 25,000 dollar electric vehicle about three years from now (September 2020); a future car smaller than Model 3 (September 2020); asked about the 25,000 dollar non-robotaxi model, the future is autonomous (October 2024).THEN AND NOW · THE $25,000 TESLAThe $25,000 Tesla: from “three years” to Cybercab and a cheaper Model 3Aug 2018 “maybe … in three years” → Sep 2020 Battery Day “about three years from now” → a week later: “a future car that will be smaller than Model 3” → Oct 2024, asked about a $25,000 non-robotaxi model: “the future is autonomous”.2018201920202021202220232024202520262027as of 23 Oct 20261234claim with a daterestated / revisedobserved statusstatement → stated target date115 Aug 2018Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee · 4:54“… if we really work really hard i think maybe we could do that in three years”TARGET $25k car · ~2021222 Sep 2020Tesla Battery Day · 1:30:54“… about three years from now, we're confident we can make a very calm, very compelling $25,000 electric vehicle”TARGET $25k car · ~2023328 Sep 2020X post“We aren’t cutting the price of Model 3 to $25k. I was referring to a future car that will be smaller than Model 3.”TARGET “a future car”, smaller than Model 3423 Oct 2024Tesla Q3 2024 earnings call · 37:16“I think we've made very clear that the future is autonomous.”TARGET $25k question: “the future is autonomous”elonsfaq.org · sources: Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee 2018, Tesla Battery Day 2020, @elonmusk on X, Tesla Q3 2024 call · as of 23 Oct 2026 · unofficial
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Then

15 August 2018, Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee:

“in order for us to get to like let's say ultimately getting like a 25 000 car um that that's uh that's something we could we could do but it's probably if we really work really hard i think maybe we could do that in three years”
15 Aug 2018 · Talking Tech with Marques Brownlee · 4:54

22 September 2020, Tesla Battery Day:

“about three years from now, we're confident we can make a very calm, very compelling $25,000 electric vehicle”
22 Sep 2020 · Tesla Battery Day · 1:30:54

Editorial calendar reading: about three years from Sep 2020 = around late 2023.

Restatement

28 September 2020, on X, about the Battery Day remark:

“We aren’t cutting the price of Model 3 to $25k. I was referring to a future car that will be smaller than Model 3.”
28 Sep 2020 · X post

Now

23 October 2024, Tesla Q3 2024 call, asked when to expect the $25,000 non-robotaxi regular model:

“I think we've made very clear that the future is autonomous.”
23 Oct 2024 · Tesla Q3 2024 earnings call · 37:16

Status, 23 Oct 2026: No $25,000 Tesla is on sale. Cybercab has been used for Robotaxi rides in Austin since 3 September 2026, but it is not sold to individuals yet and no price is announced. Company source, not an Elon Musk quote: Tesla Q3 2026 Update (SEC filing).

What changed

ItemThen (2018–2020)Now (2024–2026)
$25,000 car“maybe we could do that in three years” (2018); “about three years from now” (2020)“the future is autonomous” (Oct 2024)
Product“a future car that will be smaller than Model 3”Cybercab in Robotaxi service, not sold to individuals yet (company status, Oct 2026)
Cheapest TeslaModel 3 $37,990, 250 mi (Sep 2020; ≈ $49,200 today)Model 3 $36,990, 321 mi (Oct 2026)

What stayed the same

The $25k car didn't come. What we got instead

Scope