cars news 10: Elon Musk Confirms Tesla Model Y, Elaborates on Plans for Electric Minibus

It’s long been rumored Tesla would name one of its vehicles “Model Y,” and now we finally know what form it will take. Taking to Twitter over the weekend, Elon Musk revealed plans for a Tesla Model Y compact SUV that will sit on the same chassis as the Model 3.

In its “Master Plan, Part Deux” announcement on July 20, Tesla made no announcement on the Model Y. But it did mention plans for a “future compact SUV.” The plan also touched on electric buses, and Musk elaborated on that subject on Twitter, confirming that Tesla is working on a minibus that will sit on the same platform as the Model X SUV.

“The Tesla Minibus will be built on a Model X chassis,” Musk revealed. “People density potential is surprisingly high.”

Tesla said that the new “high passenger-density urban transport” vehicle is currently in the early stages of development. Tesla hinted it would feature autonomous driving capabilities and would be able to take people all the way to their destinations unlike current buses. Alongside a heavy-duty semi truck, the passenger bus should be ready to debut next year.

After one Twitter user suggested Tesla should name the bus “Model B,” Musk hinted the vehicle would take a different naming direction. “I think we should be inconsistent in our naming conventions after Model Y,” Musk tweeted.

Source: Elon Musk via Twitter