It appears that the dual motor all-wheel drive Tesla
Model 3 will launch much earlier than expected, potentially as early as Spring
2018.
The Californian carmaker recently updated its
configurator for the Model 3 and alongside listing an arrival time for the base
model in early 2018. It also says the dual motor variant will land in Spring
’18. Of course, in Tesla time, that
might end up meaning at the very end of this year, potentially even in early
2019.
In preparation for the arrival of the all-wheel
drive Model 3s, Tesla has registered the VINs for at least 19 units with the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Like the dual motor Tesla Model S and Model X, it is
quite possible that the dual motor Model 3 will become the most popular
variant. However, reports indicate that it won’t come cheap, adding at least US$ 5,000 to the price of the entry-level electric sedan.
In October, a video emerged reportedly showing the
Model 3 dual motor undergoing performance testing at the company’s track in
Fremont, California. It’s not yet known how quick the variant will be but the
rear-wheel drive model reaches 96 km/h in roughly 5.1 seconds. The
dual motor model should, therefore, accelerate to the same mark in under 4.5
seconds.
