The iPhone equivalent in the world of motoring is most certainly the Tesla Model 3. With a starting price of USD $35,000 (before incentives!), it’s no wonder that the waiting list is over 400,000 long.
Touted as the BMW 3 Series rival (the entry level 320i variant starts at USD $33,000), the Model 3 will be the most affordable product in Tesla’s stable, making the brand significantly more accessible to an even wider pool of potential customers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Model 3 is specifically engineered to combined range, performance, safety and utility. It will be cleverly designed to fit five adults and all their belongings, and at the same time be powerful enough for a 0 to 60 mph sprint of under six seconds. As comparison, the BMW 320i does that in 7.1 seconds. “Tesla doesn’t make slow cars”, said Musk, and this is one way of proving it. The other, it seems, is that faster versions will be introduced in later stages.
The Model 3’s lithium-ion battery pack will provide enough juice for a distance of over 320 km, and upon completion will be the safest car in its class. Entry-level variants will be rear-wheel drive, while those opting for the more complex dual motor AWD version will have to wait a little longer.
Production is said to take place in phases, with the earliest starting August this year albeit with a limited capacity of 100 units a month. Musk aims to ramp up the process with hopes of producing up to 20,000 units a month by year end.
And oh, like all other Teslas (that would just be the Model S and Model X), there will be two boots – front and rear. More details will surface come Friday, so watch this space!
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