Earlier this week Elon Musk finally announced the launch day of the Model Y – March 14.
This electronic SUV has been a long time coming, as has the name. Perhaps it was naive of me to hope that Musk wouldn’t lean into the naming convention that he’s been building towards for years.
And yet here we are.
- Model S
- Model 3
- Model X
- Model Y
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/03/tesla-to-shut-most-of-its-stores/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tesla-charger-410×231.jpg” title=”Tesla To Shut Most Stores Worldwide” excerpt=”Earlier today Tesla announced its long-awaited $US35,000 Model 3. But that wasn’t the only surprise. It also confirmed that to afford selling the new model at this price it would need to close most of its brick and mortar stores over the next few months.”]
Of course, this isn’t surprising. Musk isn’t exactly known for his subtly when it comes to naming stuff. Before being renamed to ‘Starship’ late last year, SpaceX’s giant rocket was actually called ‘Big Fucking Rocket’. Although, it was often referred to as Big Falcon Rocket in official capacities.
In fact, it was this change that made me think that perhaps Musk could flip on the new Tesla SUV, too.
I probably sound like a wet blanket here. What’s wrong with having a bit of fun with product names? I get it, and love the naming equivalent of a shitpost as much as the next person.
But I do wonder how appropriate solidifying the S3XY naming convention was mere days after announcing the closing of most Tesla stores across the globe. Considering that that news already went hand-in-hand with the long-awaited announcement of the cheapest Tesla Model 3 ever, it seems somewhat tactless.
There is yet to be any official confirmation globally regarding how many people will lose their jobs in order to /”achieve these prices while remaining financially sustainable”. According to Musk there will be “some headcount reduction” and that “a small number of stores in high-traffic locations remaining as galleries, showcases and Tesla information centers.”
But yeah, S3XY is funny, lol.
Model Y unveil event on March 14 at LA Design Studio
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2019
This news also comes only a few weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requested that Musk be held in contempt of court for continuing to tweet about Tesla in a way that could impact on shareholders.
The SEC saw this tweet as a violation of the settlement it made with Musk in August 2018 after tweeting “false and misleasing” statements about privatising Tesla at $420 a share. Yeah, it was a reference to *that* 420.
In addition to having to run any tweets about Tesla by legal council, which he has not done, the settlement resulted in a fine of $US20 million for both Musk and Tesla. The CEO also had to step down as chairman of the company.
As for the Model Y, we won’t have details on global pricing or availability until March 15 here in Australia. But according to Twitter it will be 10% bigger and more expensive than the Model 3. It will also have the same battery but with less range.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/02/elon-musk-wont-stop-tweeting-about-tesla-may-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/elon-musk-confused-410×231.jpg” title=”Elon Musk Won’t Stop Tweeting About Tesla, May Be Held In Contempt Of Court” excerpt=”The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the U.S. has requested that a judge hold Elon Musk in contempt of court for tweeting. The SEC is claiming that the tweet in question is inaccurate and violates the settlement Musk came to with the agency in 2018.”]