Elon Musk says you won’t be able to order the $35K Model 3 anytime soon

By Ruth Reader

May 21, 2018

The dream of owning a low-cost Tesla Model 3 vehicle is still a distant one for now. In a tweet this weekend, CEO Elon Musk said that if he were to start manufacturing and selling the base model of the Model 3, the company would die. Instead, he says, Tesla won’t responsibly be able to start producing the lowest-cost Model 3 until three to six months after the company starts producing 5,000 cars a week.

 

In 2015, Musk said he would begin production on a sedan that would cost $35,000–a far lower price than any of the company’s other vehicles. But that model of car, the base version, has yet to debut. Instead, people have been able to purchase Model 3’s featuring a long-range battery and rear-wheel drive, among other features, for $49,000 or more. (May 28, 2018), Musk’s company outlined a new all-wheel drive Model 3 for $78,000 that is supposed to compete with BMW M3 on performance.

While some fans are enthused about the specs, many are disappointed that the Model 3s real promise has yet to be fulfilled.

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