Tesla finally unveiled the Model 3, the car that CEO Elon Musk hopes will make the EV firm a mass-market brand. Musk showed off the car yesterday evening at the company’s design studio in Hawthorne, Calif.
More spacious than any other car in the segment
Similar to the Model S, the Model 3 will come in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions and will have front and rear trunks for storage.
“More cargo capacity than any gasoline car of the same external dimensions,” says Musk–enough to fit a 7-foot long surfboard.
Talking about the amount of space, Musk said five adults can comfortably fit — “comfortably is the important part here.” Also there will be a 15-inch landscape touchscreen inside, versus the 17-inch portrait touchscreen in the Model S and X. The car comes with standard Autopilot hardware, and all safety features will be activated automatically.
All Model 3 cars will support Tesla’s high-speed Supercharging network because, according to Musk, “It’s about going where you want to go.”
By the time the Model 3 will hit the roads, Tesla says it will have a total of 7,200 Superchargers, which is almost double the number it has today.
Best car for $35,000: Tesla CEO
Tesla has already gotten over 130,000 preorders for the car, and the number will surely continue to rise. To book a Model 3, potential buyers need to put down $1,000. The base version of the car will go 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds, but there will also be models that go “much faster.” The EV firm expects to push the range up from the current range of at least 215 miles for the final car. Musk also informed event attendees that the Model 3 will start at just $35,000.
Musk appeared “fairly confident” that deliveries will start by the end of 2017 and said, “You will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, even with no options.”
Also Musk touted the Model 3 as the safest car in the world. What’s special about the car is that from the front to the rear roof area (i.e., from the windshield to the trunk), it will be one continuous piece of glass. Production will not start until late 2017, and to handle orders, the EV firm will double its dealership and service network.
You can watch the full video of Musk’s Tesla Model 3 reveal here:
Tesla Model 3 Gallery
