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Tesla has a new vehicle in the pipeline, slated to go on sale at some point after the Model X crossover. On Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the Model 3 -- we've also seen it stylized as “Model III” -- will be a relatively affordable, sporty midsize sedan. AutoExpress claims a 2017 sale date, which would follow a debut likely sometime in 2016.
We don’t know what the Model 3 will look like, but a scaled-down version of the Model S is probably the safest bet (we’re definitely willing to be surprised, though). Price gets scaled down, too, to a more manageable $35,000, according to Automotive News.
Musk says it will hit about 200 miles on a charge (no word on whether larger battery packs will be optional) and that it’ll have a footprint similar to that of the old sport/luxury benchmark, the BMW 3-series. Fittingly, given its name -- is that really the best you could come up with, Elon? -- it’s also expected to compete with the Bavarian sedan.
If it does as good a job challenging 3-series as the Model S did with, say, the 5-series -- and it can do so for that proposed $35K sticker -- Tesla could well have a large-scale hit on its hands. It’ll almost certainly be better than the Bimmer in the quarter mile, at least.
Tesla Model S walks 2005 Dodge Viper at the drag strip: Controversial run leaves us with plenty to ponderGREEN CARS Tesla Model S walks 2005 Dodge Viper at the drag strip: Controversial run leaves us with plenty to ponderFighting through a field jam-packed with electrified contenders such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Tesla Model S has just earned the title of fastest production EV through the quarter-...
That will be a huge deal for Tesla, as well as for electric vehicles in general.
Along with that all-electric crossover, a successful, affordable sedan will be crucial if Tesla wants to start selling in volume. Recall that, for all the excitement and buzz (backed by solid product, to be sure), the fledgling automaker has moved probably well under 50,000 cars since its founding over a decade ago.
Widespread electric-car adoption is something of a chicken-and-egg scenario; it doesn’t make sense to buy an electric car unless there’s infrastructure, and it doesn’t make sense to build infrastructure unless a lot of people with electric cars demand it.
The skillful execution of the Model 3 could play a big role in tipping that balance in favor of EVs -- perhaps a bigger role than free and open patents ever could. We'll probably have to wait until 2017 to find out.
Tesla Motors Inc. said Tuesday that its lower-priced successor to the Model S sedan and upcoming Model X crossover, expected to go on sale in 2017, will be named the Model III.
The Model 3 will start at $35,000 -- half the starting price the Model S – and compete with the BMW 3 series.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the new car will have a driving range of about 200 miles on a full charge. Musk has also said the new vehicle will be about the same size as the 3 Series.
The name, pronounced “Model Three,” was revealed Tuesday in a report by British magazine Auto Express. The publication quoted Tesla CEO Elon Musk as saying he originally intended to call the car the “Model E,” but changed plans after Ford Motor Co. claimed rights to the name.
Tesla confirmed the report Tuesday on its official Twitter account.
The company could unveil the Model III as soon as the 2015 Detroit auto show, the Los Angeles Times reported last year. The company ultimately wants the sedan to boost its U.S. sales volume to 250,000 units a year, comparable to the volumes of luxury leaders such as BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
Jack Nerad, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said, “A versatile, usable all-electric car at $35,000 would be a hit in the marketplace, but an important key to versatility and usability is range. If Tesla Motors can figure out the range issue and the associated charging time/charging station issue, they will strike gold.”
As long as they actually make the 2017 target date, I will likely be pre-ordering this car. The Model S is a bit too big but about 20% smaller sounds about perfect.
If it remotely resembles the S I'll probably have to buy one for the wife.
Why for the wife?
My wife already said she wants to hold out for this to be our next car. I'll take one with the sport package. I really hope they nail the styling and keep the utility and performance of the Model S. I don't even care if it has lower range, I'll keep a gas car for road trips/second car.
Can't say I love the name
It competes with the 3-series... I don't think that's by accident.
My wife already said she wants to hold out for this to be our next car. I'll take one with the sport package. I really hope they nail the styling and keep the utility and performance of the Model S. I don't even care if it has lower range, I'll keep a gas car for road trips/second car.
It competes with the 3-series... I don't think that's by accident.
I'm interested to see what they cut out from the Model S. When I go to the Tesla storefront down the street, the electric car aspect is okay, but the technology is just ridiculous in the Model S. I hope they keep a lot of that, but I expect Tesla to cut some corners to bring the price down.
I'd be good with it being more of a 'regular car':
-door handles don't need to pop out to greet me
-performance of 0-60 in the 6 second range (doesn't need to be 4.6 sec. to 60 like the Model S), range to empty hopefully at least 200 miles (which is promised)
-smaller screen (like iPad sized) would be fine with all functions (or even more conventional like a standard car)
-supercharger for quick charging would be a huge plus (for long distance driving)
In reality, I think that if it's $35K, it may or may not have the 200 mile range (in other words, $35K is just admission to the club- that may be for a lesser battery that may get 150 miles of range)- if it tops out at say, $45K or so, and it's well made and luxurious, it will sell well. I really like the company as well (I think it will be a game changer, especially with a more affordable car that looks as good as it looks in the pics published).
I'm interested to see what they cut out from the Model S. When I go to the Tesla storefront down the street, the electric car aspect is okay, but the technology is just ridiculous in the Model S. I hope they keep a lot of that, but I expect Tesla to cut some corners to bring the price down.
Yes, but would expect them to also offer a $45k-$50k option with the corners put back in.
People are waiting in line to reserve Tesla's Model 3 sight unseen
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Anticipation for the Tesla Model 3 is so high people are waiting in line at its stores across the world to reserve one, sight unseen.
In fact, the line at the Cleveland Tesla showroom was more than 100 strong at 10 a.m.
That's incredible for a car that nobody has seen or knows that much about. Tesla will unveil the car, its first affordable electric vehicle, at a flashy press conference in Los Angeles Thursday night.
Lack of information didn't stop Richie Muniak of Medina from arriving at the Tesla showroom in Lyndhurst an hour before it opened to preorder his Model 3. He wasn't alone. In fact, there were already 60 people in line.
"The fun part about this to me is the little information I have about this car," he said. "Tesla is unveiling the car tonight, so all of us here know very basic details but are still throwing down our thousand dollars."
In Columbus, eager Tesla customers camped out overnight outside the store at Easton Town Center.
Prospective buyers who can't make it to a Tesla store can reserve one online starting at 11:30 p.m. A $1,000 deposit is required.
"The Model 3 is going to be a pivotal model for Tesla," Patrick Min, a senior analyst with the car buying site TrueCar.com, told the Associated Press.
Tesla currently sells two models, the S sedan at $70,000 and the SUV-like, falcon-winged X for $80,000. The Model 3 is expected to start at $35,000. Tax incentives could possibly push the price below $30,000. A teaser image suggests the Model 3 is smaller than the S, perhaps with a coupe-type body.
The car will reportedly have a range of at least 200 miles when fully charged, with an option for a more powerful battery with a range of 300 miles.
"If they can do it at that price point, and with that range, they have the potential to pull in a lot of people," Kelley Blue Bock senior analyst Rebecca Lindland told the Los Angeles Times.
That includes Muniak, who said friends called him crazy for waiting 90 minutes in line for a car he doesn't even know when he'll get to drive.
"Personally, I look at what Tesla is doing and think that they are actually making the car that I dreamt about when I was a child," he said. "If only they flew."
They are going to seriously disrupt the market with this thing. The Germans stand to loose the most A3/A4, 2/3 Series, C class are all in the sights on Model 3. I can see them scooping up a ton of those sales. I'm considering pre-ordering tomorrow after the announcement....it is my birfday after all.
Preorder and announcment are today. There are lines around the block at the tesla stores here. One friend met Elon Musk in line and got his pre order in.
I'm not trying to start shit... Just being honest. I always thought (and still think) Teslas are very cool cars, however, they aren't built for reliability. I first heard it on the radio and after a quick google search, I was surprised how many issues people have with them. Even for some basic things you'd think an automaker should know quite well.
Just look it up. You'll find no shortage of articles.
This is still pretty stupid for people to preorder. We know nothing about this car and I doubt the first one comes out until at least summer 2018.
Originally Posted by TacoBello
I heard 2017, today.
They're aiming for late 2017 deliveries. But if they run into production issues (which I think they will) like with the Model X, then I'd say expect (limited) deliveries sometime during the 1st half of 2018.... at the earliest.
For 2016, we are planning for even faster delivery growth than last year. We plan to be net cash flow positive and achieve non-GAAP profitability for the year, even after investing about $1.5 billion to add more production capacity, start cell production at the Gigafactory, and establish additional customer support infrastructure. Moderate GAAP profitability is expected in the fourth quarter. These investments will help prepare the way for Model 3, which is on schedule to be unveiled on March 31 st and to start production and deliveries in late 2017.
Originally Posted by Saintor
The Model X was so late.
I haven't seen one on the road as it was announced like 4 years ago, IIRC.
Well, they've only delivered 206 Model X's as of Dec. 31, 2015, so they're pretty rare.
We delivered 17,478 vehicles in Q4, including 206 Model X vehicles. Tesla directly leased 881 cars to customers in Q4, about the same percentage as last quarter and worth $85 million of aggregate transaction value.
It didn't help that they had to cut back on model X production because of issues.
During Q4, we reduced Model S production costs, started volume Model X production and still produced a record 14,037 new Tesla vehicles. In January 2016, we limited Model X production for a period of time to maintain our quality production standards. We are already seeing improvement from these efforts and we are now significantly increasing our Model X production throughout the balance of the quarter. We anticipate approaching a Model X production rate of 1,000 vehicles a week in Q2.
I reserved one, maybe I'm stupid for plunking down $1000 sight unseen - but the reservation is fully refundable if the pics come out tonight and it looks like a Pontiac Aztek
Rumor is that it will be able to do 0-60 in ~4 seconds and have a 300 mile range, but the price will top out at $60K and likely the 4 second 0-60 time and 300 mile range will be reserved for the top of the line model.
My lease is up for the GS in October, so I have to get something else until the Model 3 is available - hope they are going to be able to at least take a stab at when your car will be available because I don't know how long of a lease to get - I'm guessing 2 years is probably the best bet.
I will likely lease the Model 3 as well - so if it is super unreliable, I can get something else after 2-3 years.
07-17-2014, 02:34 AM
