The Tesla Model 3 Is Here And It’s Awesome, Baby!

Tesla introduced it Model 3 to the world in typical rock star fashion last night in Los Angeles. After all the pomp and ceremony, the strobe lights and pumping music, one critical message came though loud and clear. The Model 3 is awesome! Styled by Franz von Holzhauser and his team. the car features clean, flowing lines with just a hint of the creases and character lines so much in vogue today.

Photo credit: Tesla Motors

Not a hatchbackDespite its long, tapering roof, the Model 3 is not a hatchback. It has a frunk and a smallish trunk. Borrowing an idea from the Model X, it has an enormous windshield. It also has an all glass roof that stretches from the windshield all the way back to the cut line for the trunk opening.

Interior

The interior of the Model 3 is different from any other car currently in production. It has headroom from drivers up to 6’6″ and enough leg room for 6 footers in the rear. It features a minimalist dashboard with very few readouts. The 17″ touchscreen found in the Model S and Model X has been reduced to 15″ in the Model 3. It is also mounted horizontally instead of vertically.

Photo credit: The Verge

215 mile range

Tesla says the Model 3 will have an EPA range rating of 215 miles. No details have been released about the battery as of yet. That range is just slightly less than a current Model S 70, which retails for twice as much money.

Performance

Tesla says the base Model 3 will accelerate to 60 mph in 6 seconds. That is faster than 98% of the cars people will be commuting to work in this morning. Dual motors will be an option as will a larger battery. The company says the top version of the car will hit 60 in 4 seconds and have a range of 300 miles.

Supercharger access

The Model 3 will come standard with access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. The company says it will double the number of chargers in the network to 7,200 by the time the Model 3 begins production. There will also be 15,000 destination chargers by then.

Autopilot

Elon Musk told the audience that the Model 3 will come with autopilot hardware built in. No specifics have been released about the software, but given the pace of development by the company, within 18 months the software that permits autonomous driving should be significantly more powerful than the company offers today.

Musk comments

During the event, Elon Musk had several things to say. No surprise there. Regarding when Model 3 production will begin, he said, “I do feel fairly confident it will be next year.” Priced at $35,000, Musk promised “you will not be able to buy a better car, any better car, for less than that.”

Then he gave this shout out to current Tesla owners. “The Model S and X made the Model 3 possible. So to all of you who bought an S or an X, thanks for paying for this.”

Take a virtual test drive

If you weren’t able to make it to LA last night, don’t worry. Tesla has posted a video of what it is like to drive the Model 3 on Periscope. Enjoy!