Tesla Motors‘ Chairman and CEO Elon Musk recently said that he’s decided to hold up on a replacement Roadster until the company launches its “Gen 3″ electric car, a smaller, less-expensive EV for the mass market.

In an interview for InsideLine.com after the global unveiling of the upcoming Tesla Model X crossover utility vehicle, Elon Musk said that his goal is to have a third-generation Tesla ready for market by early 2015.

Elon Musk also said:

“I have to be careful here, this is our aspiration, not a definite date.”

Tesla Motors recently announced that its 2012 Model S electric sport sedan will use Panasonic lithium-ion cells in its battery pack.

Over the next four years, Panasonic will supply enough commodity lithium-ion cells to allow Tesla Motors to build more than 80,000 Model S electric vehicles. Tesla‘s battery pack uses large numbers of small cells wired together reducing its costs substantially compared to the larger-format lithium-ion cells used by other electric cars.

According to a recent press release, the Panasonic cells used by Tesla Motors for the Model S offer the highest energy density and industry-leading performance. Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk said using Panasonic‘s cells would give the Model S unrivaled range and performance.

The Model S is expected to hit the streets in 2012, and Tesla says it has more than 6,000 reservations to buy the electric sedan.

Tesla Motors has delivered more than 1,800 Roadster electric sport cars, in more than 21 countries across the world, including 100 of the electric sport cars in Switzerland.

George Blankenship, Tesla‘s Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Ownership Experience describes the Roadster‘s success in Switzerland:

“The fact that Switzerland has embraced the Roadster makes complete sense. Swiss consumers are thought leaders who seek out cutting edge technology as well as environmentally-responsible solutions. The Roadster, a revolutionary high-performance sports car with zero emissions that can be charged completely with renewable energy, offers all of this, and more.”