Tesla announced during its 2020 Battery Day event it plans to produce a $25,000 USD electric vehicle in three years.
CEO Elon Musk has said this smaller EV would be designed locally at Giga Berlin, while recently, Tesla started seeking out candidates for a design director at its design studio in China.
While we’ve seen some loose ‘Model 2’ concepts, we now have a high-quality concept, created by 19-year old design student Alwin, based in Lillehammer, Norway.
According to Alwin (@Alwinart), he explained to Tesla North his concept for this smaller Tesla EV was to be 20% smaller than the Model 3, but maintain the same interior cabin space.
Alwin explained the concept took him about 10-15 hours to complete, while the most time-consuming task was experimenting with different shapes to match Tesla’s design ethos, which he describes as being “very functional.”
The theme of Alwin’s ‘Model 2’ concept is about maximizing efficiency, not just for the interior space, but also for the vehicle’s aerodynamics for efficiency.
Alwin says he believes a smaller Tesla compact would bring massive Full Self-Driving revenue for Tesla as part of a robotaxi fleet, so he says it should be able to hold passengers comfortably.
His design resulted in a ‘Model 2’ concept with minimal overhangs, with each wheel pushed to the outer limits of each corner of the car, while the hood is small but maintains a crumple zone for safety.
Alwin designed this vehicle to be rear-wheel drive only, as a sporty hatchback, but also tried to maintain the sloping rear roofline seen across the company’s vehicles, for efficiency. He says a key inspiration for his design was the 1999 Audi A2, based on its style and functionality, a vehicle his father—an industrial designer—owns.
Other Tesla design features Alwin integrated are ‘quattro blizzard’ over all wheel arches, while sloping headlights are included as seen on the Model 3 and Model Y.
Tesla ‘Model 2’ Specs:
There is also a blacked-out entry trim with an SUV style, to allow for off-road terrain and a crossover capability, which he says is in high demand in Europe.
As for the ‘Model 2’ outer panels, Alwin envisions it to be made from aluminum, to save weight, resist corrosion, and increase longevity.
Alwin created his Tesla concept on an Apple iPad Pro, using the app Procreate. He explains to Tesla North, “My biggest dream is to become a Tesla designer.”
“Elon has been the most inspirational person to me. It has become more and more clear to me the last years that Tesla is my dream workplace. I just absolutely love the company and what it makes,” said Alwin.
As a current industrial design student in Norway, he plans to obtain his Master’s degree next, specializing in sustainable design or automotive design.
