Enthusiasts expecting to one day get their hands behind the wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.

CEO Elon Musk just put a big damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “stupid.”

During a conference calls with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.

“Basically, having a regular $25K model makes no sense,” Musk said. “That would be stupid. It would be completely contrary to what we believe.” Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”

On October 10, Tesla uncovered its long-awaited robot taxi, called the Cybercab, a self-driving EV without a steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to transport people or goods.

The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be in production in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said it would be a $25,000 car, without specifying whether that price tag included federal tax credits.

Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had dropped the idea and instead favored the development of a robot taxi.

The language in Tesla’s latest financial report still suggests that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments put a floor on how affordable these would be. To date, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.

Some rival EV manufacturers are goes in the “affordable” space more aggressively in the US

General Motors has already listed its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release one under $35,000 EVs in the US in 2027.