Tesla Model 3: ‘best affordable’ electric car may be worth the wait
Slow production – first real-world delivery was last December – means new Tesla owners’ entry-level models will arrive in 2019’s first quarter, at best
Since it was announced in June 2016, more than half a million people have deposited US$1,000 to reserve their Model 3 sight unseen, drive untested.
Yet, with deliveries to customers moving at a slow, horse-and-buggy pace, the hype has waned to scepticism.
The so-called electric vehicle for the masses didn’t reach its first real-world customer until December 2017.
New-to-Tesla owners who want the entry-level model will have to wait until the first quarter of 2019. At best.
With so many other affordable long-range electric vehicles coming to the market, is the Model 3 worth waiting for?
To find out, we spent the afternoon in a Model 3 owned by a friend whose family owns a Model S.
For now, it comes only with rear-wheel-drive, the extended-range 310-mile (498-km)-range 75 kWh battery pack (US$9,000), and the premium upgrade interior (US$5,000). That’s a starting price of US$49,000.
For all intents and purposes, the 238-mile, US$36,620 Chevrolet Bolt available nationwide now is an electric vehicle for the masses, as is the 151-mile, US$29,990 Nissan Leaf.