The dream car of many daily drivers includes a far range, while the dream car of a sports car driver is fast acceleration from 1-60 miles-per-hour. In addition, the dream car of environmentalists includes a car that has zero CO2 emissions. One company, Tesla Motors, a company with a history less than two decades and run by entrepreneur Elon Musk (who is also known for his other company, SpaceX), has gained worldwide attention for its capabilities to meet the needs of daily, sports car, and environmental drivers with its fully electric cars. In the past decade, the company introduced various cars to the public, which were categorized in the high end price range of the hundred thousands. And today on April 1st (no this is not a prank or a joke), Musk released its newest, and also most affordable car by far, the Model 3.
The Model 3’s predecessors, the Model S and the Model X, brought uproar to the automobile market through its stunning 200+ mile range, with its extraordinary accelerating speeds from 0 to 60 miles per hour in approximately 3 seconds (which brings its acceleration speeds to similar level as Ferraris and other sports cars). It also comes with the iconic large Tesla touchscreen beside the driver seat. The Model 3 compared to its same brand cars may ultimately lack acceleration speed with a dull estimate of less than 6 seconds and 200 mile range, but for its $35,000 (USD) starting price, it is one of, if not the best car you get within a considerably budget price range. In addition, the Model 3 does not fall behind in charging speed compared to the Model S and Model X, which both are capable of reviving 50% of a full charge in 20 minutes and a little more than an hour for a maximum battery level. The new Model 3 has began its orders from today, and has already received over 100,000 by the end of the day ($1000 down payment with refund). Tesla has stated that the model will not go into full production until late 2017, so it is unsure when these “electric-hungry” drivers will get their hands on their automobiles.
For most of the students, looking to get a car may be a boring topic that seems to not be in any way related to their current life, but the release of an eco-friendly car in a mid to low range price opens more options for those who eventually will become drivers. The Model 3 may be also an ideal option for teachers and parents who do not often drive far distances beyond 300 miles (480 km) a day (there are charging ports around cities nowadays) and are coincidentally looking for a lower priced car. Musk’s new product may just seem as a cheaper version of his previous innovations; however, it sets greater goals for other manufacturers to put more research into developing more affordable and effective electric cars.