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Elon Musk teases new Tesla product -- but it’s not a car

The Tesla Model S P85D on display in Ojai on Feb. 5

The Tesla Model S P85D on display in Ojai on Feb. 5

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, past master of the Twitter tease, has issued an alert that his company will unveil a new “product line” late next month.

But it’s not a car.

Musk’s tweet, which prompted a 3% rise in Tesla’s stock value, said, “Major new Tesla product line -- not a car -- will be unveiled at our Hawthorne Design Studio on Thurs 8pm, April 30.”

Musk has said previously that his company is working on a variety of electrical storage systems, among them systems that could gather and store power from solar panels -- perhaps solar panels made by one of Musk’s other companies, Solar City.

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Online pundits were quick to guess some such system would be the subject of Musk’s April 30 presentation, as well as to suggest other comical possibilities. Among the Twitter suggestions: A Tesla hovercraft and a flying broom.

Musk’s last Twitter tease didn’t go so well.

Two weeks ago, the Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur tweeted his intention to unveil a product that would put an end to “range anxiety,” which is the fear drivers of electric vehicles have of running out of a juice before they reach a charging station.

Tesla stock fell several percentage points when the product Musk unveiled proved to be nothing more than a software update that would make it easier for Tesla owners to locate charging stations and calculate their chances of getting there.

A Tesla spokesperson declined to offer additional details on Monday’s tweet, except to confirm the Hawthorne event.

Twitter: @misterfleming

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