介绍:
Tesla has unveiled a prototype of its Model 3 in California.
The electric car will be sold at a starting price of only 35,000 US dollars.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk.
"And want to emphasise that even if it buys no options at all, this will still be an amazing car. You will not be able to buy a car for $35,000 or even close, even if you get no options. It is a really good car even with no options."
Musk notes that production will not begin until 2017, but more than 130,000 people have made their orders.
The compact sleek four-door car with no grille features a roof that is a panoramic pane of glass from front to back, and a driving range of roughly 350 kilometers per charge.
Meanwhile, Musk says scale from the massive facility will cut the cost of its battery pack by 30 percent to enable the lower-priced vehicle.
The Model 3 will enter a crowded market of luxury and electric cars that includes gasoline-fueled models such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, and electric models such as the forthcoming Chevrolet Bolt EV from General Motors.
The Model 3 is crucial for Tesla to reach its goal of selling 500-thousand cars per year by 2020.
The electric car still faces challenges from low gasoline prices, high battery costs, and uncertain investment in recharging infrastructure.
