Update: This hub is updated with information from the unveiling.
Tesla was founded 13 years ago and shipped its first car in 2008 – the Roadster. At a base price of $109,000 (£86,950, AU$191,888), it was a long shot away from Elon Musk’s vision of an affordable EV.
It took four years before the first Model S reached buyers, which now starts at $70,000 (£50,000, AU$97,245) before incentives and is still not very cheap.
Now that the Model S and X are out the door, Tesla is ready to unveil its first affordable car – the Model 3. Sadly, the Model 3 doesn’t insert itself between the S and X, so there’s a missed textual seduction opportunity.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Tesla’s most affordable EV
What’s the range? US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated 215 miles, at least
How do I reserve one? The Tesla stores and website are accepting reservations with a $1,000 deposit
When it is out? Deliveries begin next year
What will it cost? Starting at $35,000 (£30,000) base
How fast is it? 0-60 mph will at least be under 6 seconds
What is it?
The Model 3 is the first affordable Tesla, starting at $35,000 (£30,000) before any government tax incentives. It should qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit for US buyers, which brings the price below $30,000 before state incentives, if you’re among the early reservations.
The tax credit is only available for the first 200,000 EVs sold by each manufacturer. Tesla claimed over 115,000 pre-orders already, so you may not meet the cut-off.
Depending on the state you live in, more incentives are available to bring the price down even further.
Tesla is targeting an electric range of 215 miles with the Model 3 on the base model and plans to offer other configurations like the Model S and X. As an owner of a 2015 Nissan Leaf rated for 84-miles of range, 210 miles would save me the trouble of having to charge in public for 95% of my driving and let me drive from Tacoma, Wash. to Portland Ore. without stopping to charge.
I’ve made the trip to Portland once in a Kia Soul EV (standing for “electric vehicle”) and took twice as long, just to stop every 45 miles to use a CHAdeMO charger for 20 minutes, for a typical trip that takes me 2.5 hours by gasoline car.
Will it have Autopilot?
Every Tesla Model 3 will have Autopilot technology for semi-autonomous driving, including the base $35,000 model. I commend Tesla for this announcement as the Nissan Leaf has zero advanced driver assists and the Chevy Bolt will only have basic collision prevention driver assists.
What about the competition?
The Tesla Model 3 competes with luxury gasoline and mainstream electric vehicles. On the luxury side, it’s base price puts it in the crosshairs of the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class, Audi A4 and Lexus IS – all gasoline sedans. There’s also the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, which have higher base prices but shorter pure-electric range.
The mainstream competition consists of current available EVs, like the Ford Focus Electric, Kia Soul EV, Volkswagen e-Golf and Nissan Leaf. Competition gets tougher if you expand to include PHEV’s from Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai and Kia.
But that’s not all, because the competition from EV makers heats up, too. Chevrolet announced the Bolt EV, with 200 miles of all-electric range at CES 2016 and availability by the end of the year. Nissan is expected to replace the aging Leaf with a newer, longer-range model in the near future, and Hyundai’s upcoming all-electric Ioniq is expected to have 110-miles of range, too.
How do I buy one?
You can reserve your Model 3 at your local Tesla store or online. I put my deposit down as soon as online reservations were available.
It will cost $1,000 (£1000 and AU$1,500) to reserve a Model 3. The deposit is fully refundable if you change your mind, and you can can apply it towards a Model S or X at any time.
Tesla expects production to begin in late 2017, giving the Chevrolet Bolt a one-year head start. North American buyers will get the first Model 3’s, starting from West to East coasts. Europe and Asia-Pacific regions are next, while right-hand drive markets (i.e. the UK) are last.
Our thoughts
The Tesla Model S was a revolutionary car that changed the public perception of EVs. It has insane performance and over 250 miles of electric range, when mainstream EVs couldn’t even push 100 miles then. But, despite the price, the interior wasn’t quite up to snuff, and I found the suspension tuning lacking around an autocross course compared to luxury brands.
With the Model 3, the EV landscape has drastically changed. Chevy expects to ship the Bolt by the end of this year as an model-year 2017 vehicle with 200 miles of range, giving it a long head start. However, a base Model 3 has a $2,500 base price advantage, a minimum of 215 miles of range, striking styling and standard Autopilot technology, which instantly puts it ahead of all currently available and upcoming EVs from traditional automakers.
I put my faith in Tesla an hour before the press conference began. The unveil did not disappoint at all and I look forward to replacing my Nissan Leaf with a Tesla Model 3.
Source: techradar.com
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