The Tesla Model 3 is without a doubt one of the most important vehicles from the American carmaker. It is the vehicle, which will bring Electric Vehicles to the masses, according to Elon Musk.
The Tesla 3 is scheduled to be the least expensive car from the house of Tesla so far, making it easily available for the masses. The Model 3 will be placed at the bottom of the table, right underneath the Model S and the Model X SUV.
Despite its position at the table, the Tesla Model 3 is the most important vehicle in the entire lineup at the moment. It is an ambitious project nonetheless, which came into effect only after Tesla managed to raise $738 Million off a few ventures.
The Tesla Model 3 is at par with the Model T project of the electric cars. Tesla was rumored to be secretly developing a cost-effective electric vehicle for the masses, which would make their vehicles readily available.
However, no additional details were available till late last year, when the story was exclusively covered by the Auto Express magazine. Since then, numerous rumors have been hovering over the internet, with more fiction than facts, making the Tesla Model 3 one of the most awaited EVs of the year.
According to the experts, the Tesla Model 3 is scheduled to cost around $43,000 at launch. The report further claims that these figures were announced by Elon Musk himself at the Prince’s Trust Leadership Dinner, although, the authenticity of the claim can neither be confirmed nor denied at the moment.
The benefits of owning a Tesla are evident from the word go, since there are numerous Government returns and tax benefits associated with the deal. As a result, even at $43,000, the Tesla Model 3 is a lot cheaper than the Model S, which sports a price tag of $65,000.
Tesla is expected to showcase the Model 3 at the Geneva Motor Show this year, although, a recent rumor claimed that the company will be showcasing two variants of the car. The rumors claimed that while one would be a sedan, the other would be a crossover SUV.
The rumor goes ahead and points out that the SUV will sport Falcon Wings, much like the Model X. An executive at Tesla claimed that the chassis and underpinnings underneath the vehicle can be used for a multitude of vehicles including a sedan or an SUV in the future.
This clearly states that while the underpinnings can be used to design multiple variants of the Model 3, nothing as such has been done so far. Hence, the rumors about dual variants are simply baseless.
The Tesla Model 3 is gearing up for launch, and if experts are to be believed, Elon Musk is looking for a Q1 release this year. However, production might take a little while more, making the vehicle available off the showroom a few months later.
Last year, Musk claimed that the Model 3 will start on their journey to production in 2017, since Tesla’ Giga factory is currently unable to handle the workload and will have to drive down the cost of manufacturing.
According to another piece of rumor on the internet, the designers are trying to make the Model 3 as sleek as possible. The engineers have been tasked with designing a vehicle with drag less than 0.20.
In comparison, the Model S has a drag coefficient of 0.24, which is equal to a Mercedes-Benz B or C Class. However, getting the drag coefficient lower than 0.20 requires some really unique and bizarre styling, as portrayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show by the Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA, which thanks to its unique styling has a drag coefficient of 0.19.