Tesla Model 3: What We Know About Its $35,000, 200-Mile Electric Car

2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

There are now 100,000 Tesla Model S electric cars on the roads, and its Model X crossover finally struggled into production last fall.

Since that time, long-range plans by Tesla Motors for a third, smaller, and much less expensive range of electric cars continue draw huge interest.

Little bits and pieces of news have filtered out, but now the big allure is the promised public debut of a concept for the car this spring.

Here's what we know so far.

CODE NAME: The new compact sedan was originally called the "Blue Star," following in line with "White Star," which turned into the Model S.

Tesla Motors, Palo Alto, California

MODEL NAME: Tesla had intended to call its third-generation car the Model E, meaning that its three volume vehicles would be the S-E-X trio. We'll leave you to ponder that one.

However, Ford turned out to have a prior trademark on the Model E, and declined to release it. The car that Tesla intends to be its high-volume, mass-market entry is now called the Model 3.

Typographically, that is often rendered as three stacked horizontal lines, as in the Tesla logo. We don't use that on this site because the character doesn't render properly on all devices.

BODY STYLES: A compact sedan, described as a BMW 3-Series competitor, will come first.

It will be followed by a crossover utility vehicle on the same platform, which Musk referred to in a 2015 tweet as the "Model Y"--following on the Model X larger crossover, presumably.

2016 Tesla Model X with 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport, photographed by owner Bonnie Norman

POSITIONING: Musk told Bloomberg in May 2013 that the new model will be a "compelling, affordable car" that's far less costly than the Model S, but nicer than the high-volume Nissan Leaf.

"What the world really needs is a great, affordable electric car," Musk said in the interview.

"I’m not going to let anything go, no matter what people offer, until I complete that mission.”

RANGE: The new model will have a range of about 200 miles, Musk has often said.

There may well be more than one battery offering, as there is in the Model S, to give higher ranges at additional cost.

TIMING: When the Model X was expected to go on sale at the end of 2014, Musk said the new, smaller Tesla will go into production in late 2016.

That timing has now moved to the end of 2017 or early 2018, and if history is any guide, that date could slip further.

Tesla future plan timeline shown at 2013 annual shareholder meeting

Volume production in the hundreds of thousands likely won't occur until 2020 or so--assuming everything goes well.

We now know, however, that Tesla plans to unveil a design for the Model 3 next month.

Rumors suggest it will be at the Geneva Motor Show, but that would be atypical for Tesla, which rarely appears at or makes major announcements at auto shows.

We also don't know if this will be a design study, an "alpha" development vehicle, or a proposed final production model.

COST: The new model has always planned to cost roughly half of what a Model S does, with Musk acknowledging that the large luxury sedan is "too expensive for most people."

The consistent quoted price has been $35,000, which Musk clarified was before any incentives are applied.

The CEO suggested a few years ago that by the time the Model 3 goes into volume production, Tesla might have used all of the 200,000 Federal income-tax credits allowed for each automaker.

With production now running at roughly 50,000 cars per year (50,557 in 2015), and a total of 100,000 Teslas on global roads, that's a distinct possibility by 2018.

2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

STYLING: Musk said the Generation III car will have "a family resemblance" to the Model S. (The first-generation Tesla was the Roadster; the second-generation cars are the Model S and Model X.)

Beyond that, absolutely nothing is known about the car--and thus far, no spy shots have even emerged.

BATTERY TECHNOLOGY: Tesla has said nothing about its battery technology for the new vehicle, nor has it specified pack sizes or options.

But we know that volume production of the Model 3 will require high-volume cell fabrication and battery-pack assembly at Tesla's first gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada.

The electric-car maker and its cell partner and part owner Panasonic continues to work on more energy-dense cells and cost reductions for high-volume cell fabrication.

Musk said three years ago that he was "pretty optimistic" that the necessary advances in battery technology are achievable without "any miracles happening."

Tesla gigafactory: Planned 2020 production of lithium-ion cells [slide: Tesla Motors, Feb 2014]

OTHER TECHNOLOGY: Musk hinted that the new line might have some elements of autonomous driving, but suggested those might not be offered right at the launch.

Last fall, the company launched what it calls a "beta" version of its Autopilot self-driving software for Model S cars equipped with the necessary sensors, those built after August 2014.

The Autopilot system uses both real-time data from onboard sensors and a database of experience from other Teslas previously traveling over the same route to allow the car to drive itself under certain conditions.

SUPERCHARGER NETWORK: One of the most important features of electric-car usage has turned out to be widely available DC quick-charging, which provides up to an 80-percent battery recharge in 20 to 40 minutes.

Tesla's fast-expanding Supercharger network is far ahead of the two other competing standards for lower-priced, lower-range cars, and the company shows no sign of letting up on the pace of installation globally.

Tesla Motors Supercharger network in the U.S. - map as of January 2016

Musk has said in the past that the Model 3 will be able to use the Supercharger network, just like any other Tesla (except the Roadster).

It remains unclear if Supercharger hardware will come standard on all Model 3s, as it now is on the Model S, or whether it would be an extra-cost option.

You can rest assured that between now and the launch of the next line of Tesla cars and crossovers, there will be more coverage of every detail.

Woman Who Built LSR Electric Motorcycle Tells Her Story

The story is about Eva Håkansson, a woman who set a land speed record using a three wheel electric motorcycle she built in her garage. The vehicle, known as the KillaJoule, reached a staggering speed of 240.72 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the summer of 2014. Eva has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and is working towards a PhD.

Eva designed and built the KillaJoule herself. She hopes her world-changing achievement will show others that eco-friendly vehicles can be fast and exciting and that “women can be excellent engineers.” That last part may be the most important aspect of this story. Here is her interview with Guiness World Records, which published it on January 27, 2016.

What motivated you to build the fastest streamlined 3-wheeled electric motorcycle?

I call KillaJoule “eco-activism in disguise”. My mission is to show that eco-friendly can be fast and fun, and hopefully make people that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in low-emission vehicles be aware of their potential. Speed is a great way of showing the capabilities of battery power, because fast is always in fashion! Electric racing is like chocolate without calories: it gives me everything I want – power, speed, and torque, without the things I don’t want – pollution and noise.

How did it all come about?

We were racing my husband Bill Dube’s dragracing motorcycle the KillaCycle, setting new records in the 1/4 mile. KillaCycle’s best time ever in the 1/4 mile was 7.6 seconds, which is very respectable in dragracing circles, but almost impossible to communicate to the public. “Huh? 7.6 seconds to what? To 60 mph? That’s not very fast”, was a frequent comment. Bill and I decided that we had to do something else to make people interested in electric vehicles.

What was your goal when you first began to build the Killajoule?

I decided that I wanted the answer to the question “How fast is it?” to be at least “300 mph” (484 km/h). We didn’t have the budget or garage space for a car, so it had to be a motorcycle. After some failed partnerships with other people, we decided to do everything ourselves and finance it out of our own pockets. Never having built a streamliner motorcycle ourselves, we were ridiculously optimistic. We thought it would take about six months and a budget of $10,000. It would end up taking 10 times longer and cost us 10 times more…. but it was worth it in the end!

How much has the KillaJoule cost?

We could have paid off our mortgage if we hadn’t built the KillaJoule, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

Did you really build the KillaJoule yourself?

About 80 per cent of the hours, blood, sweat, and tears that went into the KillaJoule are mine. The rest is built by family and friends. The motorcycle is built from scratch in my two-car garage behind my house.

Why land speed racing?

Land speed racing is the last fully unlimited racing where innovative engineering is encouraged. Most regular racing is so regulated that there is no room for innovation. Also, speed records are so tangible and easy to communicate, everybody can relate to speed. When you set a new record, you don’t just beat the other competitors at the same event, you beat everybody in the entire history! That’s cool!

What are its main differences and advantages when compared with a gas-powered motorcycle?

The real advantage of electric drive is that it is on the frontier of racing and very much virgin soil. Modern batteries, like the A123 Systems Li-Ion cells in the KillaJoule, coupled with lightweight and powerful motors and controllers available today, that were not available just a few years ago, give electric drive vehicles a surprising edge in land speed racing.

Could you give us a little insight into the technology you used on the motorcycle?

The KillaJoule is simply just a giant cordless drill with wheels. It is a motor, a battery, and a throttle, plus wheels, just the same as your cordless drill scaled up. There is no clutch, no carburetor, no transmission, no flywheel, no exhaust system, no camshaft.

The electric motor connects directly to the rear wheel with a motorcycle chain. It really does not get much simpler than that. The throttle, which is a twist grip like every other motorcycle, is the equivalent of a “volume control” on a car stereo. It is a variable resistor that tells the solid-state electronic motor controller how much electric current to allow to flow through the motor. The motor torque is directly proportional to the current (amperage) that flows though the motor.

How do you prepare for a race?

Even if I need to be quite fit for the job, my motorcycle is the real athlete. It requires “care and feeding” just like a race horse or airplane. Everything is pushed to its limits during a record attempt, so all the parts have to be in top notch condition. With a very short racing season – the salt flats are only dry in August and September every year – the preparations for next year’s record attempt begin the day after you come back from the race.

Corrosive salt gets in everywhere and has to be cleaned out, a process that can take every evening for a month. Things that are broken have to be fixed. There are always parts that need to be painted, any little scratch in the paint on the frame and the steel starts to rust. All electrical systems have to be checked, onboard fire extinguisher system has to be serviced, flame suit has to be washed and checked, and a gazillion other things.

What are your aims are for the future development of the vehicle?

To be faster!

What does it mean to you to be a Guinness World Records title holder?

It is pretty much every racer’s dream to make into the Guinness World Records book. It is really a confirmation that you are doing something right. The confirmation is important, because there is no prize money and rarely any trophies in this discipline.

I often get the question how it feels to make a record-breaking run. I wish I could say that it is a big rush, but it isn’t really. The closest I can describe it as a two minute long mix of horror, boredom, and magic. Setting a new record means that I am going faster than I ever have gone before, and that the bike is going faster than it ever has. Accelerating up to a speed where I have been before is typically so uneventful that it is almost boring, but as soon as you surpass that speed you are entering uncharted territory. Years of work finally pay off, and it is like time stops.

When I have finished a run, all my nervousness and discomfort quickly vanishes and is replaced by a huge grin. I say, “Well, that was easy, let’s do it again”.

San Diego Gas & Electric To Install 3,500 EV Chargers

San Diego Gas & Electric, in a plan approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, will install EV chargers at 350 locations throughout San Diego and Orange counties. Each location will have 10 charging stations. Some might dismiss this news, since it involves only Level 2 chargers. Where are the DC fast chargers America needs to make the electric car revolution finally gain critical mass?

The big news here is not that a whole bunch of new chargers are coming to Sandy Eggo and environs. The big news is where those chargers will be located. 50% of SDG&E’s customers live in multi-family communities — places where charging stations have seldom been available before. Until now, the ability to plug in overnight has been available mostly to owners of single family homes.

Putting chargers in the condo developments that dominate the southern California housing market is a giant step forward.  Without access to vehicle charging, there is virtually no way people living in condos can become part of  the green car revolution. SDG&E’s initiative will help address gaps like this in the market and ensure charging is accessible to all customers. 10% of the new chargers will be installed in disadvantaged neighborhoods. That will help lower income families to save money on gasoline and drive cleaner cars as well

The plan has another important feature. The rate structure for the new chargers will encourage EV drivers to charge their cars when electricity is plentiful and energy prices are low. With rates encouraging off-peak charging, vehicles will be efficiently integrated onto the grid, helping to avoid on-peak charging that drives the need to build more power plants and other electric infrastructure. The SDG&E’s electric grid is already one of the greenest in the nation. It gets a third of its electricity from renewable sources and has no coal powered plants in its system.

SDG&E is a strong proponent of electric vehicles. Last year, it launched the “Race to 500,” an innovative clean transportation program whose goal is to have 500 employees driving EVs as their primary form of transportation. To date, 200 employees have purchased or leased an EV. SDG&E has installed more than 158 electric charging stations at company facilities — the most of any location in San Diego. SDG&E also is adding 163 more plug-in EVs to its fleet as part of a five-year purchase plan.

Many utility companies welcome renewable energy and electric cars the way they would the swine flu. It’s refreshing to find one that is truly committed to the future of energy, rather than the past.