Tesla in recent years has done an impressive job of quelling the notion that driving an electric car is a risky proposition. This is largely due to the Tesla Model S (which sports an impressive range of approximately 250 miles) and Tesla’s ever expanding fleet of Supercharger stations. As a result, Tesla owners these days can drive their vehicles across the country with ease, stopping at strategically positioned charging stations along the way.
Nonetheless, electric cars are still something of a niche product. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk, always one to dream big, has grand visions of bringing electric cars into the mainstream in the next few years. His secret weapon in this regard is the Tesla Model 3.
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Musk and co. are betting the farm that the Tesla Model 3 will finally garner electric cars acceptance into the mainstream. Despite the numerous awards the Model S has accumulated over the past few years, the luxury sedan is simply too expensive for most car buyers. Tesla aims to change that by slapping a $35,000 price tag on the Model 3.
Because Model 3 development remains shrouded in mystery, there’s still a lot we don’t know about what it’s going to bring to the table. What we do know, though, is that the Model 3 will be about 20% smaller than the Model S, a fact which has caused some to worry that a smaller car = a smaller battery which will result in decreased range.
Or perhaps not.
This past Monday, while most of the tech world was preoccupied with all things WWDC, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with Tesla CTO and all around battery guru J.B. Straubel, spoke to attendees at the annual Edison Electric Institute convention in New Orleans.
During the talk, Nola.com reports that Musk said that the highly anticipated Model 3 will feature a driving range of at least 250 miles. If this, in fact, turns out to be the case, the Model 3 will be extremely well-positioned to make a huge splash with consumers. It would also prove to be quite the technological feat, though it’s no secret that Tesla continues to work tirelessly to improve its battery technology, both from a hardware and software perspective.
As for a release date, Musk noted this past May that the company will unveil its Model 3 design in March of 2016 with a launch date likely set for late 2017.
