Hundreds reserve new Model 3 Tesla in Austin
A big debut on the Pacific Coast Thursday night had people camping out and lined up all over the world, including in Austin.
Car fans lined up to get their hands on the new Model 3 Tesla before they even have seen the new electric vehicle. Pat Bulla was one of those in line; she said she likes the environmental benefits. “We're very interested in doing things to preserve the environment and preserve clean air. So we really like the idea of electric cars that plug in because we have a Nissan Leaf that we've really enjoyed,” she said.
Joseph Skrovan said he likes the new technology. “I am only here if it's self-driving. So I want to make sure it has the full sensor ray required for self-driving. I don't care if the software or the laws take a little longer but that's what I am excited about”
Everyone likes the new price and tax incentives. “This one is going to be less expensive than the $80,000 plus car so we couldn't afford that. This one is in the 30-35 thousand range, so okay yeah, let's go see if we could do that,” said Bulla.
Mark Rechtin is a Consumer Reports Auto Editor in New York "The government incentives will continue until tesla sells 200,000 total vehicles at which point that goes away. Those incentives range from $7500 to as much as $13,000 depending on what state you live in," he said.
Tesla said the new price won't affect performance, which Skrovan said he is most excited happy about. “I didn't think the $35,000 level would have the performance. Somebody said that Elon claimed it would still do zero to 60 in four seconds, which will be an upgrade over my Prius' performance,” he said.
The first units won't be built until late 2017, with deliveries starting in early 2018. But those who reserved their new wheels said it's worth the long wait. “We have solar panels on our roof so we like being able to plug in and quote drive on sunshine,” Bulla said.
The Tesla Model 3 electric car was unveiled in Los Angeles.
Click here for more information.