When Elon Musk discussed details of two new Tesla Model 3 variants, both of which are more expensive than currently available configurations, many folks were left wondering where the inexpensive, shorter-range variant is. Thankfully, Musk has an answer to that question.In a Twitter conversation, Musk explained that Model 3 production rates are the key to getting its most affordable variant out the door. Specifically, Model 3 production must be at 5,000 cars per week for between three and six months before Tesla can make the financials work. If Tesla were to ship its most affordable variant right away, it would "cause Tesla to lose money and die," per Musk's tweet:According to Bloomberg's Tesla tracker, which estimates Model 3 production rates in a given week based on a variety of inputs like VIN submissions, Tesla's currently sitting at about 3,000 cars per week, with peak production pushing that number a bit above 3,500 cars per week. Tesla aims to produce 5,000 cars per week by the … [Read more...] about The ‘affordable’ Tesla Model 3 is still months away
Tesla model 3 tax credit
Auto review: Tesla Model 3 may just be worth the wait
The Tesla Model 3 is the most hyped car since the days of the Model T. Since it was announced in June 2016, more than half a million people have deposited $1,000 to reserve their Model 3 sight unseen, drive untested. But with deliveries to customers moving at horse-and-buggy pace, the hype has waned to skepticism.The so-called electric vehicle for the masses didn’t reach its first real-world customer until December 2017. New-to-Tesla owners who want the entry-level model will have to wait until the first quarter of 2019. At best.With so many other affordable long-range electric vehicles coming to market, is the Model 3 worth waiting for?To find out, we spent the afternoon in a Model 3 owned by a friend whose family owns a Model S.For now, it comes only with rear-wheel-drive, the extended-range 310-mile-range 75 kWh battery pack ($9,000), and the premium upgrade interior ($5,000). That’s a starting price of $49,000.For all intents and purposes, the 238-mile, $36,620 Chevy … [Read more...] about Auto review: Tesla Model 3 may just be worth the wait
Modern Dad drives a Tesla Model 3!
Subscribe to Modern Dad on YouTube! Priorities shift as we get older — and also when price tags shift exponentially. The need-it-right-this-second feeling you get from a smartphone — even one that costs a ridiculous $1,000 or so, as is the case with today's top-shelf devices — just isn't quite as pressing when you're paying mortgages and starting to give serious thought to your kids' college costs. Getting old sucks. Don't do it. But every now and then you get something that takes a look at that veil of responsibility, takes a peek inside, and then threatens to take both hands and just rip it the hell open. I remember that feeling with the Treo 750 in my late 20s. (Which, long story short, is the reason you're even reading this in the first place.) And for the past couple years I've had that same sort of feeling with a much more expensive toy — the Tesla Model 3. I'm only on my second car. My first was a 1985 BMW 325e that had more wrong with … [Read more...] about Modern Dad drives a Tesla Model 3!
2018’s Top 10 Tech Cars: Tesla Model 3
Advertisement Editor’s Picks 2016's Top Ten Tech Cars: Tesla Model X Tesla Launches an Electric Semi Truck—and a New Sports Car 2017 Is the Make-or-Break Year for Tesla’s Gigafactory The Tesla Model 3 is finally here, and even critics are slobbering all over it. Now all Tesla needs to do is build a half million of them. The car might not claim the mantle of the world’s first affordable, long-range EV: Chevrolet beat Tesla to market with its roughly US $37,000 Bolt, a car we roundly praised in last year’s Top 10 Tech Cars. But where the Bolt is essentially a peppy, utilitarian hatchback that happens to run on electricity, the Model 3 sedan has larger ambitions in design, performance, innovative interfaces, self-driving tech, charging infrastructure, and even production volumes. More than any previous Tesla, the Model 3 seems to herald a coming age of electrified transport for the masses. Traditional automaking giants—such … [Read more...] about 2018’s Top 10 Tech Cars: Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model 3 release date, news and features
Update: The Model 3 has hit a production bottleneck, meaning that it has fallen far behind the estimates that Tesla CEO Elon Musk originally predicted for delivery. In a series of tweets Musk originally claimed that by December of 2017 the Tesla plant would be producing 20,000 cars a month, but presently only 260 of the cars have actually made it out of the doors. In a phone call to members of the press, Musk pushed back his estimation of 15,000 cars a month to early 2018.Original story continues below...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 electric vehicle (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 unveiled its first affordable car – … [Read more...] about Tesla Model 3 release date, news and features