Tesla Motors is giving all it can in making sure that the upcoming Model 3 will be released next year, and prices are confirmed to start at $35,000.
Unveiled earlier this year, the Tesla Model 3 is confirmed to have base price of $35,000 before any incentives. Meanwhile, a release period of early 2017 is already expected, given that Tesla Motors is projecting 100 thousand units sold by next year, and ramping it up for up to 400 thousand units in 2018. The company has even put up a new "gigafactory" to accommodate production for all its lineups.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the car maker is ramping up the construction of the $5 billion battery factory in Sparks, Nevada. This is where the expected powerhouse for the Tesla Model 3 is supposed to be assembled for a ramped-up production in 2018. While production for the Model 3 is already underway, Tesla is currently importing its battery cells from Japan. However, although some observers say that the estimated figures for Tesla Model 3 expansion are skeptical at best, having the 'gigafactory' in production by early next year means that the car maker is closer to achieving its goals. This may be the reason that Tesla is even willing to hire more than 1,000 workers in two shifts, seven days a week working on the construction project.
"We have to be ready with cell and pack production well ahead of vehicle production," said JB Straubel, Tesla's chief technical officer and co-founder. Straubel also hinted that other lineups featuring hybrid engines will also have their powerhouses assembled at the site, and this is why, "We're accelerating our construction plans and accelerating our planned ramp up of cell production."
Meanwhile, although the car maker is ramping up production for the Model 3's under-the-hood specs, the interior styling for the new lineup is not left behind. Leaks on the new Model 3 have auto industry observers praising the Tesla Model 3's "minimalist approach" and possible self-driving feature.
