Tesla has finally unveiled its “affordable” mass-market electric vehicle, the Model 3. While Elon Musk took the stage a bit later than anticipated to announce the new vehicle, his tardiness did not swarm off potential buyers. People have been in line for days to put down a deposit, and demand has been so high that Musk opened up online order forms early.
He claims the Model 3 will receive a five star rating in all categories. The vehicle has a range of 215 miles, which is 15 more than Musk promised, and even the base model will go from 0 to 60mph in less than six seconds.
“At Tesla, we don't build slow cars,” Musk said.
He also pointed out that both the acceleration and range figures are for the starting point models. There will be faster versions.
Tesla’s Autopilot, what the company refers to as its cars’ semi-autonomous mode that can handle acceleration and lane changes in highway traffic, will come with standard hardware. The car also features seats for five adults, as well as supercharging, the ability to charge a battery in 30 minutes for travel up to 170 miles.
Inside the Model 3 is a large 15-inch touchscreen that appears to float off the dash. Behind the steering wheel is nothing but the bare dash, which is because to the touchscreen acts as both infotainment and instrumentation. The roof of the vehicle is comprised of two big pieces of glass that go all the way to the back.
The Model 3 will be built alongside the Models S and X at the Fremont plant, a facility that was once a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. Its capacity is approximately 500,000 vehicles annually, which is roughly 10 times that of what Tesla built in 2015. And the company plans on selling every vehicle it produces.
Musk announced that the Model 3 will start at $35,000. Since unveiling the vehicle, pre-orders have already passed 134,000 units in just 24 hours.
Source: Mashable
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