Model Y and 'Spacebus' Are Part of Elon Musk's Magical Mystery Master Plan

If Elon Musk’s tweets are accurate (and who can prove that they aren’t?), the Tesla CEO plans to build Millennials and hippies their dream ride at some point in the foreseeable future.

As per tradition, Musk took to Twitter to release snippets of detail about his sprawling (but vague) 10-year “master plan,” including what to expect from the automaker’s next two models. One proposed model is a no-brainer, but the other would be worshipped at a counterculture love-in.

After tweeting that a Model X-based minibus was part of the plan (“People density potential is surprisingly high,” Musk said), speculation about the model followed the usual whimsical tech geek brainstorming path we’ve grown accustomed to seeing among Musk disciples.

Thanks to that, Musk now calls the proposed model the Tesla Bus/Minibus/Spacebus, borrowing a term coined by a Twitter follower. (If we’re tapping into a Summer of Love vibe, shouldn’t Magic Bus be worthy of consideration?)

Another offering planned by Tesla is the Model Y, a compact SUV based on the Model 3 platform. That model was briefly mentioned in last month’s master plan release, along with an electric pickup (which seems to still be part of the future lineup).

So, why is Tesla soliciting model names for the Magical Mystery Bus? Why no Model Z? First off, there’s nowhere to go after that. Musk later tweeted, “I think we should be inconsistent in our naming conventions after Model Y.”

Anyone searching for some hint of a timeline for the new vehicles was out of luck. The tweets didn’t add any new details on when the first post-Model 3 model could appear. One thing is certain — an electric minibus would likely spawn a limited (but still unsettling) spike in latter-day “van culture.”

Ass, grass, or electrons, man?

[Image: Tesla Motors]