Tesla Unveils Model 3 EV but Spares the Details

Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled a pre-production version of its Model 3 electric midsize sedan last night with plenty of fanfare but few specifics about the car.

CEO Elon Musk does say the base model will seat five adults, accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds and travel at least 215 miles per charge. He offered no details about powertrains, trim levels or performance options.

The sleek fastback is expected to start at about $35,000, not including government tax breaks. The company reports it has collected more than 134,000 refundable $1,000 deposits on the car.

The prototype sports an all-glass roof, no front grille, front and rear trunks and twin-motor all-wheel drive. The base model is likely to come with a single motor rear-drive.

Musk says he is “fairly confident” the Model 3 will go into production by the end of next year. But skeptics note the company hasn’t yet launched a model on time. The just-introduced Model X crossover, for example, was due two years ago.

Musk did confirm all versions of the Model 3 will come equipped with Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot driving system, the ability to be recharged in minutes at one of the company’s thousands of Supercharger stations and a horizontal version of Tesla’s huge display/control screen in the center stack. Musk also promises the car will earn five-star federal safety ratings in all categories.

More powerful iterations of the Model 3 are being developed, according to Musk. He confirms the car’s platform eventually will be shared by a midsize electric crossover model.