What Exactly Is Tesla Showing in This Teaser Shot?

Hoping to nudge the current Tesla Motors narrative in a more positive direction, CEO Elon Musk posted a “ quarterly all-hands video” late Thursday. Not particularly substantive, the clip is essentially a hype reel for the automaker — a relatively common practice within the industry. But near the beginning there are a few seconds where it teases a new vehicle.

Despite being covered almost entirely by a sheet, the vehicle (pictured above) set the internet into a frenzy. It even overshadowed the extended footage Tesla presented of the new Roadster in action. The general consensus is that the mostly obscured vehicle is an early prototype of the Model Y. But we’re less willing to jump to that conclusion.

In fact, this may not be anything more than a phantom wheeled out to divert attention away from the automaker’s recent unpleasantness. However, assuming it is a valid prototype, nothing about its ride height or roofline definitively says “crossover.” If we absolutely had to guess, we’d say the odds are just as good that this is an updated Model S.

The longer nose and rear door shape help to progress that assumption somewhat, but we’re working off little more than speculation here. Tesla doesn’t have anything to share about it. See for yourself (the car appears around the fifteen second mark of the video) and let us know what you think.

The remainder of the video is devoted to showcasing the company’s progress, capping it off with footage of the new Roadster pulling back the faces of multiple passengers. Supposedly capable of a 0-to-60 time of 1.9 seconds, it certainly seems well equipped for that particular task. However, we’d have preferred the video finish with details about what’s under the tarp.

[Images: Tesla Motors]