Tesla has been the leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market almost since their inception. With well-known CEO Elon Musk at the helm, the company has made a name for itself as they focus exclusively on electrified vehicles rife with innovation and technological advancements.
With record-breaking productions like the Model S Plaid and plentiful awards in the industry, it is clear that the company has made its mark in more ways than one.
Although not always the fastest to production, Tesla products have revolutionized the EV industry by providing new templates for what EVs have the potential to be and one of the models that has had the biggest impact on the EV market is the Model 3
The Model 3 departed substantially from EVs that came before it, introducing design changes and technologies never before integrated into an EV. The highly anticipated Model 3 was introduced back in March of 2016 and immediately gained a huge following that continues to grow.
Let’s take a closer look at how the Tesla Model 3 changed the EV game!
The Tesla Model 3’s History And Introduction To Market
Tesla’s Model 3 was hinted at back in September of 2015 and revealed in March of 2016. The sedan helped Tesla to make history by being the first mass-market vehicle delivered by the company. In true “Musk” style, the CEO delivered the first thirty production models to customers at a party on a Friday night as a means of kick-starting production.
The car was incredibly popular even prior to production. Once revealed, Tesla quickly racked up reservations and had taken 325,000 within a week of the reveal. By August of 2017, that number had climbed to 455,000 reservations. These numbers caused Tesla to advance their build plans two years ahead of schedule to accelerate production.
Marketed as a more affordable alternative to prior models offered by Tesla, the Model 3 made EVs more attainable by the middle-class and has since 2020 become the best-selling EV car in world history. In June of 2021, the car also became the first EV car to pass one million global sales units, demonstrating its popularity.
Interestingly, the Model 3 was initially going to be called the Model “E” as a way for Musk to achieve his goal of having the first three models to production by Tesla spell out SEX (which has now expanded through additional models to become S3XYCARS with the addition of the Model Y, Cybertruck, ATV, Roadster, and Semi). However, Ford’s trademark on the name “Model E” prevented the original naming plans. Even the backup plan (three horizontal bars) was prevented, this time due to a trademark on the three stripes logo held by Adidas.
The Model 3 revolutionized the transportation world through its innovation, technology, and unique features from launch. The dashboard of the Model 3 was much more minimalist than other offerings in the EV world (and those from Tesla as well). The Model 3 removed the LCD at the steering wheel that was present in the S and X models in favor of a large, centralized touchscreen.
The design of the car was also a new concept, the all-glass roof that runs from windshield to trunk gave the car an open feel and the illusion of more space and the overall design felt familiar but still futuristic.
Without breaking $40,000, the Model 3 proved that EVs could be affordable as well as desirable. At introduction, the car cost just $35,000 for the base model, and could go up to 250 miles on a charge. For a few thousand more dollars, the batter could be upgraded for over 300 miles of range as well, and an initial $7500 federal tax credit made the overall price even lower, putting the EV into a whole new bracket and making ownership possible for many who could not consider EVs previously. It opened the door for many more affordable EVs that refused to sacrifice quality to enter the market after as well.
The Tesla Model 3: Current Specs And Future Plans
Although Tesla recently increased the price of the Model 3 significantly compared to prior years, it is still fairly affordable compared to some other EVs and the 2022 MSRP starts at just $46,990. For that, the purchaser is gaining from Tesla’s experience with an expanded range, more technology, and design updates.
The 2022 specifications show the Tesla Model 3 at 358 miles per charge on the mid-level (Long Range) model thanks to a new kind of battery that is based on lithium-ion-phosphate rather than the traditionally used nickel-cobalt-aluminum. The entry level model has seen a slight increase in range, up to 272 miles per charge. Additionally, a Performance Trim is now available that bolsters the power and speed of the Model 3 for those seeking a more thrilling and responsive ride (although that will also bolster the price up to $64,440).
One thing that the most recent iteration of the Model 3 has kept from the original design is the simplistic interior. It is still incredibly simple inside with just one touchscreen on the center dashboard. The car has seen interior adjustments to allow for ample cargo space (including folding rear seats and a flat floor) and plentiful bins throughout the cabin.
Although sales have dropped a bit since introduction, the Model 3’s influence can still be seen in plenty of the affordable alternatives now being offered and the sales figures for the Model 3 are nothing to scoff at with 121,610 sold in 2021 and 182,666 sold in 2022.
Big plans for the future of the company may see those figures grow with renewed interest as well. In Tesla’s reports and on their Twitter feed, they announced a plan to sell 20 million EVs a year by 2030 and many anticipated features and changes were recently leaked through a test program based in Europe. Many of those included changes to the Model 3 and will hopefully continue to keep the car as relevant in coming years as it has been historically.