Yahoo Autos 2018 Tesla Model 3: Elon and Co. Head for the Mainstream
What It Is: A relatively affordable electric car from a company that delivers the world’s best and—until now—most-expensive electric cars and SUVs.
Why It Matters: This mainstream model will tell us if those with middle-class incomes are ready to embrace an electric as their primary vehicle.
Platform: Tesla is very hush-hush about the details of this car. We expect a similar, if not simply scaled-down, version of the Model S’s aluminum spaceframe, with the battery integrated with the floor. As with the S, Tesla will offer multiple battery-capacity and motor-power options.
Powertrain: The AC induction motor(s) will likely connect to a direct final drive, like the one in the Model S. Four-wheel drive, or “D” in Tesla speak, is in the works, but the base car will be rear-drive. Because of the plug-and-play adaptability of the motors, a rear-drive sport model is a tantalizing possibility. Base models will have a range of 250 miles or thereabouts.
Competition: Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, hydrocarbons.
What Might Go Wrong: In a word: plenty. Between Model X delays, Gigafactory hiccups, the expense of engineering a new car, ramping up production to 500,000 cars by 2018, and defections of talent to other startups, Tesla has a lot on its plate for the next few years. Tesla is still a young automotive company, and if the 3 captures some Model S spirit, it has great potential.
Estimated Arrival and Price: Elon Musk tweeted that the 3 will start at $35,000, though we expect most of them to come in right around $50,000 once bigger batteries and other options add up. Deliveries are forecast for late 2017, unless Tesla decides to follow its Model X pattern of needless complexity by putting an invisibility button and a time-travel device on it.
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