Dubbed as an electric gamechanger, the world’s first Tesla Model 3 has finally been completed and delivered straight to its first owner – Elon Musk himself.
Sharing photos on his Twitter account on Saturday night, Musk’s tweet was accompanied with the simple caption “First Production Model 3”, alongside an artistic-looking photo of his new set of wheels.
First Production Model 3 pic.twitter.com/TCa2NSUNI3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2017
With approximately 40,000 on order at $35,000 each, Tesla has already taken in roughly half a billion in deposits, and is set to rival the likes of BMW and Mercedes by the end of the year. In a tweet on July 2, Musk said that production levels should reach 20,000 per month by December – a huge increase in their starting point of less than three cars a day.
Model 3 passed all regulatory requirements for production two weeks ahead of schedule. Expecting to complete SN1 on Friday
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2017
Nevertheless, if Tesla can achieve this they will become the very first mass-market electric carmaker with a car that has 215 miles range per charge, can go from zero to 60mph in under 6 seconds, enough seating for five adults and Autopilot hardware. Reaching their goal will see them produce more battery-powered cars than all the world’s automakers combined in 2016 – certainly an impressive feat!
“[The Model 3 can] change the world…We believe we will eventually look back at the launch of the Model 3 and compare it to the Apple’s iPhone…[it will] advance us to a new paradigm in transportation, car ownership, ride hailing, city development and energy usage” said Loup Ventures co-founder Gene Munster earlier this week.
The car’s launch party is set for 28 July and here’s what we know about it so far:
- It can go from zero to 60mph in 5.6 seconds, faster than any compact luxury cars currently on the market.
- All will come equipped with hardware for Tesla’s Autopilot features and high-speed Supercharging.
- It will be able to drive at least 215 miles on a single charge and there will be options for a bigger battery.
- There will be two trunks with 14 cubic feet of combined storage space and the rear seats can fold down to accommodate more.
- The roof is a continuous sheet of glass stretching from the front of the car to the rear, designed to block UV rays and manage heat.
- It has been designed to fit five adults comfortably.
- The body is made from lightweight aluminum and cheaper steel.
- It will feature Tesla’s signature touch screen control panel at 15 inches, handling everything from navigation to speed.
- Rear-wheel drive is standard but with the option in the future for dual motor all-wheel drive.
- The number of Tesla’s high speed charging stations will double to 10,000 by the end of the year. ]
So……want one yet?