The middle class doesn't need Teslas. It needs Chevy Volts.

In praise of the plug-in hybrid

Elon Musk.
(Image credit: Illustrated | NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images, Chevrolet)

Is Tesla's dream of an affordable middle-class all-electric vehicle dead? It's not looking good.

Consumer Reports just found "flaws — big flaws" in the braking performance, control panel, and general quality of the Model 3, Tesla's ostensible electric car for the everyman. The company took issue with some of the findings, but Consumer Reports still declined to recommend the vehicle. On top of that, Tesla CEO Elon Musk just admitted the company may not remain financially viable if it starts shipping Model 3s at the planned $35,000 price. It will have to start with not-at-all-middle-class-friendly $50,000 models — or even $78,000 models — and hopefully work its way down to the entry-level one.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.