Video of Potential Tesla Van for Public Transport Leaked
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing a van for a while now. A public transportation vehicle was also mentioned in Master Plan, Part Deux. Now, a possible video of Tesla’s development in this area has been leaked to the internet.
Tesla expands its car line
Tesla has expanded its product line in recent years. The company introduced vehicles in all automotive segments. However, presence in the public transportation segment is still lacking.
Elon Musk presented Tesla’s development plans many years ago. First, in 2006 there was The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me), then Master Plan, Part Deux in 2016, and in 2023, Master Plan Part 3. As part of Master Plan, Part Deux, the head of the company spoke about expansion plans in new segments. He said the company would have to introduce cars in the heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport segments.
Tesla is developing a high passenger-density urban transport vehicle
At the end of 2022, Tesla brought the Semi truck to the market, thus starting the development in the segment. However, there is still a lack of vehicles in the public transport segment. According to the plan, the company wanted to create a new type of bus that would be smaller and drive autonomously. Its design must allow the transport of wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles. With the approach to Full Self-Driving (FSD), bringing such a product to market becomes more and more necessary.
Tesla van video possibly leaked to the internet
Late Monday night, @JacobsVegasLife leaked an interesting video to Twitter. According to the description, it was a “Leaked video of the secret Tesla van prototype designed for Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop, from inside The Boring Company’s Las Vegas headquarters.”
In the video, you can see a vehicle made of a frame and glass. Inside there are 11 passenger seats and a driver’s seat. There is indeed enough space in the vehicle, which would allow passengers to place luggage, a stroller or a wheelchair. You can see that the vehicle has a steering wheel with the Tesla logo, and the driver’s seat is similar to what is currently installed in Tesla cars.
Tesla works with Boring Co. on the development of a van
Previously, the Boring Co. has already shown a render of a van that would work in its underground tunnel system. In 2020, the company submitted it to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. The tunnel project between the Cucamonga Ranch and Ontario International Airport contained modified Tesla vehicles. However, The Boring Co. said it was developing a dedicated electric van with Tesla. It can accommodate up to 12 people and their luggage, increasing the capacity to 1,200 people a day or more than 10 million a year for the proposed project.
Obviously, the render of the proposed van in 2020 is very similar to the vehicle we see in the leaked video. However, keep in mind that at the moment there is no confirmation that this video actually shows a Tesla van prototype.
