Tesla Company broadens the markets with its new electric sedan Model 3 presented in Los Angeles, which has become the most compact and affordable model of the brand. The new electric car will compete with BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
The younger model is executed in the style of a flagship Model S, a five-seater cabin and ultra-minimalistic interior with no dashboard, but with a huge display in the center panel.
Right after Tesla Motors’ latest model has made its official debut, the Company has started receiving orders, though first applications to the company’s website were sent even before the official premiere. By the time of the presentation the company managed to register 115,000 online applications and each future buyer has made a deposit of $ 1,000.
A detailed price list as well as complete list of equipment has not yet been released, but the minimum price tag, as was promised by the head of the brand Elon Musk, will remain at around $35,000. And taking into account various US tax programs for buyers of electric cars the real price of the car on the main market may be even lower.
Thus, Model 3 sedan will become the cheapest car in the model range of the company. In a basic equipment set all cars will have an autopilot function and compatibility with Supercharger fast charging stations.
During the presentation, Mr. Musk has denied rumors that for the sake of price reduction the release of Model 3 will be established in China. The owner of Tesla Company claimed that vehicles and batteries will continue to be produced in California and Nevada. However, the launch of local production in China for the local market may still take place if the demand among the Chinese will get bigger enough.
Technical details of the new model were kept secret until recently, and most features that future owners would like to know are still unknown. The car body of Model 3 is made mainly of steel, although the engineers did not completely abandon alloy materials. Power reserve of the basic Model 3 attains 340 km, and later there will be also a version with a battery capacity of 80 kWh, with which the novelty will be able to travel on a single charge for up to 480 kilometers.
The dynamic characteristics of the future car still remain secret, but Mr. Musk has promised that even a basic electric sedan would accelerate up to 100 km / h in less than six seconds. “We do not make slow cars “, – said Mr. Musk.
Tesla Company relies on large sales volumes of Model 3 sedan, but the role of the future bestseller is still discharged to the upcoming compact crossover. Model Y will fall below the level of Model X SUV in the model hierarchy and will be positioned as affordable SUV.