Experienced by Marvin Bowser
Tesla design models have influenced our intellects with clean power, high safety ratings and a wide array of 21st century technologies. Tesla, the purveyor of premium electric vehicles, utilizes supercar acceleration and cat-like reflexes to also appeal to our lust for power and the primal urge to control and direct it. Moreover, sleek exteriors and lofty price tags have made Teslas even more desirable, but out of reach for most of us. Well, until now! The Tesla Model 3 will begin pricing at $35,000 which is roughly half the cost of a base Model S.
I experienced the Tesla Model 3 reveal virtually from home through a live feed from the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, CA, which started at 11:34 pm EST to the vibrant tunes of Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross. Everyone looked pretty excited as they milled around talking with one another and poking at their smart phones. I became enthused myself with anticipation of the value electric car.
The music stopped and Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer, introduced Elon Musk the CEO of Tesla. Rather than showcase the Model 3 immediately, Musk explained his SECRET Master Plan to achieve production of the Model 3. He feels that auto consumers must quickly transition to sustainable transport to combat global warming and save the planet. The first Tesla to enter the market was the high-cost, low volume Roadster that proved that electric cars could be fast, beautiful and have useful range. Musk insists that the Roadster led to the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf programs.
Next, Tesla created a daily driver that competes with the great gasoline powered sedans. The Model S is the fastest 4-door car ever and boasts impeccable handling, luxury and technology including Autopilot Autonomous Driving. A base Model S kicks off at roughly $70,000. Tesla lacked a midsize crossover in the lineup until the Model X became available in September 2015 for $80,000.
The next step in the SECRET Master Plan was to mass-produce an affordable Tesla which inevitably became the Model 3. Musk assured viewing audiences that even the base Model 3 is the finest automobile money can buy. The sporty, sexy and crafty design screams Tesla, not bargain EV. In terms of size, the Model 3 is about the length of an Audi A4 or 20% smaller than a Model S and is designated to compete in the entry-level sports sedan market.
Focus capabilities:
- Safety: The Model 3 is incredibly safe with 5-star grade in every category.
- Speed: The base car will accelerate 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Faster versions will be offered at a higher cost.
- Range: The range will be at least 215 miles per charge.
- Technology: Autopilot Hardware and safety features are standard.
- Comfort: Seats five adults comfortably. The instrument panel and front seats are positioned forward to provide more room in the cabin. Additionally, the rear roof area is a continuous pane of glass creating more headroom and a feeling of openness.
- Convenience: Front and rear trunks for more cargo capacity than gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size. A 7-foot long surfboard will fit inside the Model 3 for example.
- Freedom of Travel: All model 3s are engineered with standard supercharging that allows for quicker charging. Superchargers are a Tesla innovation that deliver half a charge in as little as 20 minutes which is important for freedom of travel.
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Tesla is increasing production at its Fremont Factory to meet demand of the Model 3. Their Gigafactory — the largest footprint of any building of any kind — will produce all lithium-ion batteries needed.
Elon Musk closed his presentation by thanking his current customers while mentioning that 115,000 reservations for the Model 3 were placed within the last 24 hours. I reserved one and signed up for a test drive myself. Can’t wait! Well, keep in mind deliveries begin late 2017.
