Elon Musk: Teslas are not named like iPhones, and any confusion is because 'I was a dumb idiot' (TSLA)

March 24, 2017 at 12:44 PM EDT

Elon Musk REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

Elon Musk wants you to know that Tesla's electric cars are not named like Apple's iPhones.

Apple names its phones to let customers know which model is newest — the iPhone 7 is newer than the iPhone 6S, which is newer than the iPhone 6, for example.

The Model 3 is not the sequel to the Model 1 or the Model 2. The Model 3 is Tesla's lower-cost sedan that should start being delivered to customers later this year.

Tesla's other cars are the Model S and Model X.

Here's Musk:

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/845278449811939328
Am noticing that many people think Model 3 is the "next version" of a Tesla, like iPhone 2 vs 3. This is not true.Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/845279423238590464
Model 3 is just a smaller, more affordable version of Model S w less range & power & fewer features. Model S has more advanced technology.

(However, Apple never released an "iPhone 2" or "iPhone 3.")

Why would Musk name one model after a number and other models after letters? Musk has a self-deprecating and funny reason:

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/845283534948392960
@jDaz Because I was a dumb idiot and didn't realize at the time that it would cause confusion

Turns out, the Model 3 was supposed to be called the Model E, but Ford didn't like that. That opened the door for Musk to make a funny, juvenile joke about Tesla's entire naming convention:

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/845280754871418880
Model 3 was going to be called Model E, for obvious dumb humor reasons, but Ford sued to block it, so now it is S3X. Totally different :)

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