Below are some of the stories making the rounds today about this week’s highly-anticipated delivery of the Model 3.
Tesla and Elon Musk’s moment of truth with first mass-market car (Financial Times): “In a sign that Mr Musk may be on to something, would-be customers have put down deposits on more than 400,000 Model 3s. True, buying an option on the vehicle, which will cost from $35,000, has not represented much of a risk: the deposits are only $1,000 and are fully refundable. Many reservations may fail to turn into orders. But the sight last year of customers lining up outside Tesla showrooms to register their interest drew comparisons with the rush to buy the iPhone and reinforced Mr Musk’s reputation as the car industry’s most effective showman.”
Tesla faces its biggest test yet with Model 3 (San Francisco Chronicle): “The Model 3 is a crucial piece of Tesla’s plan to expand past its status as a boutique automaker, with the company planning to build 1 million cars per year by 2020. (That includes all Tesla vehicles, not just the Model 3). It’s also key to Musk’s long-term goal of selling a still-skeptical public on electric cars and weaning the world off of fossil fuels.”
Tesla Buyers Antsy for Model 3 Keys Months After $1,000 Deposit (Bloomberg): “While his high-school classmates were blowing their money on Chipotle burritos and concert tickets, Truman Hale was saving up for a Tesla. In March of last year, after years of penny pinching, he plunked down a $1,000 deposit on a Model 3.”
Tesla Model 3 May Ship Without a Key (The Drive): “Future Tesla Model 3 owners might be able to access their cars using some sort of card, if we are to believe what we’ve seen from some video stills.”