Tomorrow, on March 31, Tesla finally will take the wraps off its first-ever mass-market offering, the Model 3. It could very well be the most important vehicle in the electric carmaker’s lineup?mostly because, at a promised sticker price of $35,000, it’ll be the only Tesla most regular car buyers can afford. Ahead of the official unveiling, here’s everything we think we know about the new Tesla.
It’ll Cost $35,000 Before Any Electric-Car Tax Incentives
Price is the most important aspect of the Model 3. Ever since Tesla first confirmed the mid-size Model 3 way back in July of 2014, the automaker has been heavily emphasizing that $35,000 starting price. Perhaps more importantly, CEO Elon Musk says that’s the price before any federal or state tax incentives for zero-emissions vehicles. That’s a direct shot at the Chevy Bolt, GM’s first mass-market all-electric vehicle. GM CEO Mary Barra says the Bolt will ring in under $30,000?after about $7500 in federal rebates. Of course, Tesla is steadily nearing its federal tax incentive sales cap?once the automaker has sold its 200,000th car in the U.S., those incentives disappear. It’ll Come in Sedan and Crossover Variants . . . Eventually
Last summer, Tesla’s chief technical officer JB Straubel remarked that the Model 3 would be a family of new vehicles, eventually spawning both a sedan and a crossover version. With crossovers dominating the U.S. car market, that’s a s...