(Image credit: Tesla) While we don’t know what sort of battery capacity to expect, Tesla has already revealed some big promises about the Hatchback's battery. Promises that suggest it will come powered by the new 4680 battery cells, the same cells set to be used in the Tesla Cybertruck and the 2022 Model Y. The 4680 cells use a tabless design which promises to offer six times the power and five times the energy capacity of comparable batteries - all while reducing the cost. That would be why the automaker can hit that coveted $25K price tag, something no other EV in North America has quite managed. Currently the cheapest model on sale is the $25,200 Chevolet Bolt, or the $27,400 2022 Nissan Leaf with the full federal EV tax credit. The battery is also going to help support the hatchback’s underpinnings, which will help reduce the car’s overall weight. Combined with the smaller, lighter design, Tesla claims this will increase the hatchback’s range by a further 14%. It’s not clear what sort of charging speeds to expect with this car, though it will no doubt be compatible with Tesla’s supercharger network. We would be very surprised if it didn't have the same 250kW maximum as other Teslas. Tesla Hatchback: Design and features We haven’t seen any design specs or illustrations of the Tesla hatchback, which seems to have been deliberate. That said, a hatchback is a very particular design, so we should expect some sort of Tesla-ified vehicle that looks like a blend between a Tesla Model Y and something like a Nissan Leaf or VW ID.3. It’s also fair to assume that most of the traditional Tesla features will be available in the new hatchback, including the company’s infotainment system, access to the supercharger network and more. What we definitely know is that the car will have some form of Autopilot involved, with Elon Musk promising the vehicle would be “fully autonomous." We seriously doubt that it will have Level 5 autonomy, wherein the car does all of the work and there’s no need for an attentive human in the driver's seat. Our guess is that Tesla’s ‘Full Self Driving’ Autopilot will be available, enabling the car to navigate itself on highways and possibly even city streets. Provided there’s an attentive human behind the wheel, ready to take over at a moment’s notice. Tesla Hatchback: What will it be called? (Image credit: Tesla) Tesla hasn’t announced what its new hatchback will be called, and some outlets have taken to calling it the ‘Model 2’ — presumably because it’s smaller and cheaper than Tesla’s current entry-level car the Model 3. However Elon Musk has already refuted that particular point, killing any chance that the car would be called the Model 2. Not that it was particularly likely, should Tesla stick with the naming conventions of its previous cars. After, all Elon Musk deliberately named the Model S through Y because the letters spelled out the word ‘Sexy’. Or Tesla would have done if Ford didn’t own the rights to the name ‘Model E’, which forced Tesla to substitute the number 3 instead. But where can Elon Musk’s pretty childish Tesla naming trend go from here? Sexy is a complete word by itself, and it means the Hatchback’s letter would have to start spelling a brand new word. That’s assuming Tesla even opts for one, and doesn’t follow the example of the Tesla Roadster and give the hatchback a more ordinary name. Though ‘Tesla Hatchback’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as ‘Model H’. Tesla Hatchback: Outlook There are still a lot of unknowns with the Tesla Hatchback, though it seems that Tesla is going to offer that same ‘Tesla experience’ in a car that’s both cheaper and smaller than its current line-up. That's a good thing, and hopefully means the company’s many competitors will follow suit and launch high-range electric cars for a low price. Of course, we will have to wait and see what happens, and whether this car actually arrives in 2023. It’s all well and good thinking about what could be, only for the car to be delayed like so many Tesla models before it. But we do have some high hopes, and we’re optimistic that Tesla can pull this one off without a hitch. TOPICS