In a cryptic tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said it's about time to unveil the D -- and one other thing that the company is gearing for.
Together with the intriguing announcement on Twitter, Musk posted an image that bears the name "Tesla" and the date "October 9, 2014."
About time to unveil the D and something else pic.twitter.com/qp23yi59i6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2014
There is a strong reason why everyone would think that the letter "D" in Tesla's Twitter announcement would stand for the name of an upcoming car model from the company. After all, it has been common knowledge that the company is keen on using letters when naming a car model. Except for the Roadster, Tesla's first production vehicle, all the other models that followed were named Model S, Model X and Model 3.
The letter "S" in Model S could stand for sedan; it was originally codenamed "Whitestar." However, the sound of Model W seemed less appealing, and this might have led the company to settle for Model S instead.
Model X is described as a full-electric crossover vehicle, with the word "cross" sometimes represented by the letter "X."
Model 3 was originally named Model E. However, Ford claimed that they wanted to use the trademark for themselves. Tesla changed "E" to "3" -- which wasn't really difficult to remember, especially for those who have a talent for reading and writing from a different perspective.
Now, Tesla is hinting that it's about time to unveil "D" and something else.
Electrek, a blog about automobiles, said that the "D" could stand for a new feature called "Driver Assistance," which might include Lane Departure or Speed Assist.
Musk also previously alluded that the third generation model of Teslas would include both a smaller SUV and the long-expected "budget sedan." Future models may be able to reach a 400-mile range as a result of having a new patented battery system, which would pair lithium-ion and metal-air batteries.
It remains to be seen whether the soon-to-be-revealed "D" would have the new battery and range features. The good news is that the suspense will soon come to an end in just a few days' time.
