The all new Tesla Model 3 is expected to be officially showcased at the Geneva Motor Show next year. The third production-ready model from Tesla has everybody on the hook! With the Geneva Motor Show set to commence on March 1st, 2016, experts believe that the Model 3 will be showcased at the venue, which will also house all the latest offerings from the Mercedes Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE and the Audi A4.
Even though Tesla plans to showcase the vehicle as early as March 2016, the first batch is unlikely to arrive at the dealership before 2017. The powerhouse behind the Model 3 will be manufactured at Tesla’s new production facility at Nevada, towards the final quarter of 2015. Tesla has however chosen to stay mum when it comes to the technical specifications, till March 2016.
However, initial rumors have started spreading about the level of performance associated with this vehicle, many of which claim that the Model 3 will take on the BMW M3 and M4, head on! We cannot confirm these reports without an official word from the house of Elon Musk.
Tesla recently made a ‘Ludicrous’ upgrade to their tried and tested Model S, which promises to increase performance and fuel economy, and if rumors are to be believed, they plan on incorporating this upgrade to the Model 3!
With the Ludicrous upgrade, the Model S accelerates from 0-60 MPH in an astonishing 2.8 seconds! The Model 3 is expected to jump the same distance in 4.1 seconds, rivaling the M3 and the M4. However, Tesla might not incorporate the range-topping battery network into the Model 3 at the moment.
Tesla has promised to come up with a new battery technology, which will be smaller yet more efficient than the current range of batteries. However, Tesla needs a minimum of two years to come up with such an innovation. Since the Model 3 is expected to reach dealerships around a similar deadline, we hope that Tesla incorporates the brand new battery package into the vehicle.
If this is indeed the case, the new Model 3 should be instantly propelled to hyper-car performance! However, that is just a theory at the moment, as Tesla’s engineering department has the difficult job of giving these theories a practical result!
Tesla is working on designing an impeccable body shell for the Model 3, which should give it an additional advantage over its rivals in terms of aerodynamics! If the latest battery pack is unveiled on time, the Tesla Model 3 should be able to outperform the BMW M3’s fuel economy too. The Beemer can currently travel 423 miles without the need to refuel. Sounds lofty! Well only time will tell.
Tesla has further announced their will to open a production unit in the European Union, in order to expand their base. This is a viable option as that would ensure steep competition to the European brands that the company is already giving a hard time to!
However, the European factory is currently not on the menu, although, it could be a possibility when the Model 3 is ready for production. Is Tesla considering the possibility of manufacturing the Model 3 on the European soil? Without an official word, it can be hard to confirm.
The Tesla Model 3 has been in the pipelines ever since 2014, when Elon Musk talked of a BMW M3-rivalling electric vehicle. Even though the project was considered non-viable by the critics back then, Tesla’s steady performance in the field of technology and innovation has got the experts thinking!
Tesla has another vehicle, the one it launched with, called the Tesla Roadster.
I think it is very unlikely that Tesla will bother putting in the hardware necessary for the Model 3 to be in the hypercar tier. This is after all supposed to be the mass market electric that’s meant to be available at a price point of $35,000.
I’m also not sure why you’d compare any of Tesla’s cars with BMW’s M3 and M4 which are both internal combustion engine driven vehicles. 427 miles on a full tank isn’t even that great for a gas vehicle, though granted it is unlikely that the base Model 3 will measure up to that range since it is supposed to be affordable.