Elon Musk has just revealed the first images of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 production model. This is the much anticipated, so called “affordable” model of the popular electric vehicle. Among Tesla enthusiasts it is also known as the “SN1,” which is an acronym for “Serial Number 1,”. The vehicle was produced at the Tesla car plant in Fremont, California, and will begin deliveries by the end of this month.
image of the Telsa Model 3 tweeted out by Elon Musk
Just last week it was announced that the Model 3 passed all regulatory requirements for the production stages two weeks ahead of its scheduled date, and the finished product is already here. But the vast majority of buyers will have to endure a month- or even a year-long wait until their very own Model 3 arrives. As Musk explained, Tesla will build 100 cars in August, but they plan on producing over 1,500 by September and around 20,000 by December. But considering they already have 400,000 pre-orders for the Model 3, the Freemont plant will need to work full-steem by the end of the 2018 model year to meet the high demand. Musk says Tesla is expecting to produce about 500,000 cars per year in 2018, including the Model S and Model X.
Considering the 2018 Tesla Model 3 was only revealed this past March it is quite a feat that the first production models are already finished, and Tesla pulled out all the stops to do so. They reportedly skipped normal procedure of prototype tools to assemble the new Model 3 in order to save some time and cut their costs. These kind of low cost tools can help automakers recognize potential issues through fit and finish and they are thrown out once everything is sorted. But, Tesla is going straight to the expensive, permanent tools, a move that has been called risky and potentially dangerous, but Tesla seems to have everything under control.
image credit: motorauthority
Battery and Range
The new Model 3 should prove to be a pretty capable sedan, with an estimated range of 215 miles on a single charge. The power will be provided by a new 60-kilowatt battery, but if you end up buying the new Model 3, you should know that all Tesla owners will need to pay a fee for using the Supercharging network. In terms of performance, the new model is expected to go from zero to 60 mph in less that 6 seconds, with higher performance models promising to be even faster.
image credit: tesla.com
2018 Tesla Model 3 Release Date and Price
Tesla announced that the deliveries of the new 2018 Tesla Model 3 will begin by the end of this month, July 28th to be exact. They also plan to give out the fist few models at the special event that will most likely take place at the company’s Fremont plant in California. The prices for the new model start at the much publicized $35.000 price point.
