Electric car fans all over the world are awaiting the release of the Tesla Model 3, with Tesla ready to begin taking preorders on the electric sedan on March 31. Both the technology community and general fans of electric vehicles are hotly anticipating what will be revealed when Tesla finally takes the cover off this long rumored vehicle.
Australian consumer advantage
While there is no doubt that the Model 3 will find an attentive audience in the United States, it seems that Australian drivers will be able to get their hands on the vehicle first. Owing to the way that the clock system works on this planet, Australian consumers will be able to pick up the Tesla Model 3 several hours before fans of the vehicle in the United States. However, despite this opportunity, it may be sometime before we actually see the Model 3 on Australian roads.
Australians, of course, drive on the opposite side of the road to Americans, and Tesla has already indicated that delivering right-hand drive Model 3 vehicles could take some while longer than what it considers to be the standard version. And the vehicle will also cost significantly more in the Antipodean nation compared to the United States, despite the affordable image that the car has attracted in the media.
The Model 3 will attract a price tag of close to $60,000 in Australia, making it well over 50 percent more expensive than the $35,000 price tag that has been mooted for that United States. Indeed, with tax credits available in the US for purchasing an environmentally-friendly vehicle, the Model 3 will effectively cost half the price in the United States for some consumers that it will ultimately attract in Australia. So perhaps it’s not such a massive advantage to electric car consumers to be based in Australia after all!
US deposit
In the United States, Tesla consumers wanting to be among the first to experience the Model 3 will need to pay down a deposit of $1,000 as soon after the March 31 deadline as possible. It is expected that Tesla will sell out of the first batch of vehicles rather quickly, as the electric car manufacturer continues its quest to sell 500,000 vehicles by the end of the decade.
The Model 3 will also be available in numerous other nations, and Tesla requires deposits of different sizes in order to preserve a vehicle in each of the territories where the Model 3 is being launched.
It is important for keen Model 3 buyers to note that should development remain on schedule, production of the vehicle won’t actually begin until late 2017. And ‘if’ should be viewed as the operative word in that sentence, as Tesla is notorious for having a history of delaying vehicle releases due to technical difficulties.
Priority customers
Meanwhile, priority customers will receive their Model 3 vehicle before anyone else that preorders the electric sedan. And the concept of priority customer is defined by already owning a Tesla vehicle, with the company commenting that “as a thank you to our current owners, existing customers will get priority in each region”.
This probably shouldn’t be too much of a concern to people wanting to purchase a vehicle as quickly as possible, as it is debatable how many existing customers will also want a Model 3, but it is a good way for Tesla to reward brand loyalty. Nonetheless, the electric car manufacturer advises that “for those who aren’t Tesla owners yet, this means the fastest way to buy a Model 3 is to buy a Model S or Model X.”
There is also good news for Tesla owners on the west coast of the United States, as these particular priority customers will probably receive Model 3 orders before the rest of the United States. With production of a new vehicle always a logistical headache for any auto company, Tesla has decided to begin deliveries on the western coast of the US, before steadily moving inland. Once production has been ramped up, Tesla will then begin delivering to European, APAC and right-hand drive markets.
“Model 3 production is scheduled to begin in late 2017. When production begins, we will begin deliveries in North America starting on the West Coast, moving east. As we continue to ramp production, we will begin deliveries in Europe, APAC and right-hand drive markets,” Tesla confirms.
Tesla has already established itself as the most popular all-electric car manufacturer in the world, but the Model 3 is expected to enhance its reputation significantly. Indeed, the Model 3 is really the first attempt of the corporation to penetrate the mass auto market, and the price tag reflects the determination of Tesla to appeal to average car consumers. Tesla will stream the Model 3’s worldwide debut live on March 31 at 8:30 p.m. PDT (11:30 p.m. ET), And many fans and car critics alike are wondering intently what will be revealed at this date.
Spec list
The specs of the Model 3 are not precisely known at this time, but the manufacturer has predictably been talking up the capabilities of the vehicle. In particular, it is suggested that the Model 3 will perform favorably when compared to existing performance vehicles such as the BMW M3 and BMW M4. The Model 3 reportedly accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds, and is said to be a high-performance vehicle as well as an affordable product.
Battery range is obviously always extremely important for a electric vehicles, and this will definitely not change with the release of the Model 3. This electric vehicle is thus expected to travel around 200 miles on a single charge, with the notorious CEO and founder of Tesla Elon Musk having cited this as a realistic goal. Possibly the Model 3 will even exceed this number when it is finally revealed.
With just a week or so to wait for the unveiling of the Model 3, we will know much more about this electric vehicle by the end of this month.
