Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk surprised the market watchers and fans, when he teased by mentioning the letter “D” along with giving a date of October 9. For those who presumed that there would be no new developments on the product front this year, this hint comes as a surprise, throwing open the possibility of a new Model D.
Musk creating more suspense
The tweet in question from the Tesla CEO read, “About time to unveil the D and something else.”
Apart from setting the date of October 9th for the revelation, Musk also hinted that there is something else in store. Earlier, the CEO stated that the third-generation of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) would involve a budget sedan, as well as smaller than the Model X SUV. While most of it is still under the hood, the company might be planning to showcase one or both of the third generation of cars.
Musk later said that his tweet wasn’t intended to cause controversy, but he again opened the door for wild guesses by saying that he is “Glad I didn’t mention the other letter!”
Is it software update from Tesla?
Not everyone is convinced that D hints at a new car and there are some who believe that D could just be a new feature for the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S. The word D might stand for “driver assistance,” a suite that would include speed assist, monitoring the speed limit signs on the road and putting markers on the speedometer and lane departure, indicating to drivers that the wheel has breached the lane marker without the appropriate signaling. The Model S 6.0 update included the feature of starting the car automatically through an iPhone.
With no clear idea of what “D” might be, market watchers are unsure, but is clear that Musk has created high expectations around the event (probably on October 9th).
Meanwhile, Tesla’s Model S is making in-roads in Japan after being a hit in China. Just last month, CEO Elon Musk handed first nine Model S keys to the owners in Japan and also opened the sales operation in the region. The event holds significance because foreign automakers, especially from the United States, have a very thin market in Japan. Around 96% of all vehicles in Japan are domestically built and remaining 4% or so are imported from Germany.
