Tesla will start producing the much advertised
entry-level US$ 35,000 version of the Model 3 in the first quarter of 2019, said
Elon Musk during the company’s monthly shareholder meeting. As reported by
Jalopnik, the cheaper Tesla Model 3 will employ a smaller battery pack with
around 50kWh of capacity, which according to Musk will be ready by the end of
this year.
A few weeks ago Tesla’s CEO said that the company
must reach first a weekly production rate of 5,000 units and then wait an
additional 3 to 6 months before they launch the base version of the Model 3.
Tesla is currently producing around 3,500 Model 3s per week.
During the shareholder meeting Tesla said that the
Model 3 became the best-selling mid-sized premium sedan in the US for the month
of May, selling more examples than rivals like the Mercedes C-Class, the BMW
3-Series and the Audi A4.
It’s been three years since the US$ 35k version of the
Model 3 was first announced, leading to hundreds of thousands of prospective
customers putting down a deposit and creating immense pressure on Tesla to
deliver on its promises.
The Palo Alto-based EV maker recently revealed the
more expensive dual-motor Model 3, which combines the base model’s 258 hp
rear-mounted electric motor with another one mounted on the front, without
revealing a combined output figure. They only said that the extra motor allows
the Model 3 to complete the 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, a figure that drops to a
supercar-baiting 3.5 seconds for the US$ 78,000 Dual Motor Performance version.
