For Christmas 2017, why not ask Santa for an electric car? Because Tesla has finally announced moves to enter the broad, affordable car market.
December 2017, that’s the month you can expect your Tesla 3. Should you put down a downpayment of around $1,000. Should production plans go swimmingly. And should the impending Irish sales happen in time.
About six weeks ago, Elon Musk confirmed plans to expand into Ireland ‘later this year’, with direct sales expected to complement a market of three, just three, currently registered Tesla cars in Ireland.
The reason there are so few is twofold. First up, owners have probably bought them in from the UK. Second, they’re not cheap. However, both of those things are soon to change.
Priced at $35,000 – a direct conversion is €30,750, but it’s never that clean – Tesla’s Model 3 is the company’s first affordable vehicle, 10 years after the company set out to revolutionise how the average Joe gets around.
Safe, desirable and maybe on time
Calling the new model one of the safest cars in the world, Musk claimed no car in the same price range will be able to compete, with him also “fairly confident” of the late 2017 plans.
Pre-orders have been received for only a few hours but the company claims more than 130,000 orders have been placed already. When you consider the Model 3 is less than half the cost of any other Tesla model, you can see why.
Four of Tesla’s own superchargers are designated for installation by the end of this year on the island, in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast.
While Tesla cars are able to charge off the existing charging point infrastructure established and run by ESB Networks, Tesla’s own charging points will be established to work with its own technology.
The Model 3, with no add-ons, will do 0-60mph in less than six seconds, with faster versions for those willing to pay a little bit more. There’ll be a 215-mile range, which, given the four superchargers on the island, will be a bit of a stretch.
Tesla image via Hadrian/Shutterstock
