Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen said the company has considered developing a Cyber SUV or a smaller version of the Cybertruck, though he stopped short of confirming any future release.
“That’s definitely all things that we’ve considered,” von Holzhausen said when asked on Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit podcast if Tesla would explore a more compact Cyber-style model. “I think, you know, wait and see is probably maybe the best way to answer.”
The remarks come after Tesla included a Cyber SUV model in its “Sustainable Abundance” video released earlier this month.
In the footage, scale models resembling new Cyber-series designs were visible in the background of Tesla’s design studio.
Last week, Tesla discontinued the most affordable version of the Cybertruck in North America, five months after the vehicle’s long-awaited debut.
The Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive trim, priced from $69,990 before incentives, was removed from Tesla’s online configurator on Friday.
Introduced in April, the RWD variant had been the lowest-cost option beneath the $79,990 all-wheel-drive model. Eligible for the $7,500 US federal tax credit, it effectively lowered the entry price to $62,490 before options.
The model offered an estimated 350 miles of range on 18-inch wheels, longer than the 325 miles of the dual-motor AWD version and 320 miles of the tri-motor Cyberbeast. It also matched or exceeded its siblings in charging speed, capable of adding up to 147 miles in 15 minutes on a Supercharger.
With the RWD version discontinued, the Cybertruck’s starting price has risen by $10,000 to $72,490 for the dual-motor AWD trim, while the Cyberbeast remains listed at $114,990. The dropped model lacked premium features such as leather seating, a rear display, and adjustable air suspension.
In the same interview, von Holzhausen said Tesla is preparing a redesign of its vehicle door handles to improve usability in emergencies.
The company plans to combine the electronic and manual release mechanisms into a single button, replacing the current split system.
“The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense. That’s something that we’re working on,” he said, adding that Tesla is studying the change in China. “We’ll have a really good solution for that.”
Separately, Baird sharply raised its price target on Tesla by 71% on Friday, making it the Wall Street institution with the most bullish outlook on the Elon Musk-led company’s stock.
Analyst Ben Kallo increased the target to $548 from $320 and upgraded the rating from Neutral to Outperform.
The new target surpasses Wedbush’s recently reiterated $500 forecast, becoming the highest on Wall Street.
Based on Thursday’s closing price of $416.85, Baird’s target implies an upside potential of 31.5%. Tesla shares closed 2.2% higher on Friday at $426.07.
