At the splashy reveal event for the Model 3 EV, Tesla Motors unveiled the car but little other information about it. Having outlined the basics?that the car will start at $35,000, seat five, and offer two- or all-wheel drive?details about the car’s battery pack, power system, and more were held back for release at a later date. As it turns out, that later date was this past Sunday afternoon, two days after the official Model 3 reveal, when Tesla CEO Elon Musk took a few moments to respond to the public’s questions on Twitter.
In multiple tweets, Musk clarified both the Model 3’s standard and optional drive systems, as well as how many pre-orders the company already has for the car. Speaking to the Model 3’s standard drive configuration, Musk said it will use a single electric motor (as does the Model S sedan) powering the rear wheels; the optional setup will also mimic that on the Model S, which is to say it’ll use an extra electric motor to also power the front wheels. Horsepower and torque figures, alas, remain elusive, and Musk made several bizarre statements regarding the Model 3’s steering system, describing the production unit as “feeling like a spaceship.” The outlook is rosier (and more down to earth) on the order bank side of things, where Elon claims Tesla has received more than 276,000 pre-orders for the Model 3 globally. Naturally, online (where not everyone with an opinion has studied Business Accounting 101, o...