Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is a battery electric powered mid-size sedan with a fastback body style built by Tesla, Inc., introduced in 2017. The vehicle is marketed as being more affordable to more people than previous models made by Tesla. The Model 3 was the world's top-selling plug-in electric car for three years, from 2018 to 2020, before the Tesla Model Y, a crossover SUV based on the Model 3 chassis, took the top spot. In June 2021, the Model 3 became the first electric car to pass global sales of 1 million.
A facelifted Model 3 with revamped interior and exterior styling was introduced in late 2023 for countries supplied by Gigafactory Shanghai and in early 2024 in North America and other countries supplied by the Tesla Fremont Factory.
History
In a 2006 interview with Wired Science, Elon Musk presented the as likely being affordable by most people able to purchase new cars, aiming for a $30,000 price point. In 2008 the car was stated to be a family car. In 2017 Tesla added that the Standard Range version of the all-electric car would have an estimated EPA-rated range of, a five-passenger seating capacity, front and rear trunks, and promised sports-car levels of acceleration performance. Tesla said it would have a five-star safety rating and have a. This is lower than the Tesla Model S, which, in 2014, was the lowest among the production cars of the time.Within a week of unveiling the Model 3 in 2016, Tesla revealed they had taken 325,000 reservations for the car. These reservations represented potential sales of over. By August 2017, there were 455,000 net reservations.
Industry experts were dubious when, in May 2016, Tesla announced its decision to advance its 500,000-total-unit build plan to 2018, two years earlier than previously planned, in order to accelerate its target for Model 3 output. As predicted, there were "production bottlenecks" and "production hell". In May 2016, Tesla issued in new shares to the stock market to finance the plan.
The company plans for the Model 3 are part of Tesla's three-step strategy to start with a high-price vehicle and move progressively towards lower-cost vehicles, while the battery and electric drivetrain were improved and paid for through the sales of the Roadster, Model S, and Model X vehicles.
On April 18, 2018, Tesla updated its production target to 6,000 vehicles per week by the end of June 2018, an increase from its previous target of 5,000 vehicles per week which was previously promised at earlier dates. On July 1, 2018, Elon Musk announced that Tesla had met its production goal of 5,000 cars in a week.
On February 28, 2019, Tesla announced the availability of the highly anticipated Standard Range trim priced at. However, on April 12, 2019, Tesla announced that the Standard Range model would no longer be available for ordering online, but only over the phone or in stores. Autopilot, previously a $3,000 option, was included in all versions of the Model 3 except for the Standard Range, while each version's price only increased by $2,000. In February 2019, the Model 3 passed the Chevrolet Volt to become the all-time bestselling plug-in electric car in the U.S. Model 3 sales surpassed the Nissan Leaf in early 2020 to become the world's all-time top selling plug-in electric car.
Model naming
During an interview recorded in 2006 Musk referred to , and to. The Model 3 was codenamed Tesla "BlueStar" in the original business plan in 2007. Model 3, originally stylized as "Model ☰", was announced on Musk's Twitter account on July 16, 2014. A 2015-presentation by JB Straubel used the name "". Musk had wanted the three models to spell "SEX", but settled for "S3X", as "Model E" was already trademarked by Ford. In early 2017, after trademark opposition regarding Adidas's three stripes logo, the triplicate horizontal-bar stylization was abandoned and changed to a numeric "3".Market
In September 2015, Tesla announced that the would be unveiled in March 2016. In January 2016, Musk said that the first official pictures of the car will be revealed at the end of March 2016. Delivery would begin in late 2017 first on the U.S.'s west coast and then move eastwards. Potential customers were first able to reserve a car at Tesla stores or online on March 31 with a refundable deposit of US$1000. In February 2016, Tesla indicated that the unveiling would be on March 31, 2016. Current owners of Tesla vehicles got priority sales after employees but before the general public, as a reward for helping pay for the development of the Model 3. File:People in line to reserve Tesla Model 3.jpg|thumb|About 125 people in line to pre-order a Model 3 in Walnut Creek, California, in 2016During the Model 3 unveiling event, Tesla said that over 115,000 people had reserved the Model 3 in less than 24 hours prior; more cars than Tesla had sold by that time. Twenty-four hours after opening reservations, Tesla had advanced orders for over 180,000 cars. Two days later, Tesla said they had 232,000 reservations.
One week after the unveiling, Tesla said it had over 325,000 reservations, more than triple the number of Model S sedans sold by the end of 2015. Musk said that 5% of reservations correspond to the maximum of two vehicles allowed per customer, "suggesting low levels of speculation", and that 93% of Model 3 reservations are from new buyers who do not currently own a Tesla. The previous record for advance deposits on a car was the 1955 Citroën DS that had 80,000 deposits during the ten days of the Paris Auto Show, while the Model 3 had 232,000 reservations in two days.
According to Tesla's global vice-president Robin Ren, China is the second-largest market for the Model 3 after the US. Tesla said the number of net reservations totaled about 373,000 as of 2016, after about 8,000 customer cancellations and about 4,200 reservations canceled by the automaker because these appeared to be duplicates from speculators. Upon its release in July 2017, there had been over 500,000 reservations for the Model 3, with Musk later clarifying there were a net of 455,000 reservations outstanding, and an average of 1,800 reservations were being added per day.
2020 changes
In November 2020, the Model 3 received exterior and interior styling changes, many carried over from the then-new Model Y crossover SUV, which was based on the Model 3. The most noticeable cosmetic change was that the previously chrome finished door handles, side mirror trim, window trim, and camera covers were given a black finish.Other changes included the addition of a heat pump with an "octovalve" to improve climate control, a power-operated trunk, a redesigned center console with Qi wireless charging pads, and quieter double-pane glass.
Other changes
Some hardware has also been removed over time. The adaptive cruise control radar sensor was eliminated in April 2021, the front passenger seat lumbar support was removed in May 2021, and the ultrasonic sensors used for park assist were eliminated in October 2022 and replaced with Tesla Vision, Tesla's vision based park assist.2023 update
Tesla announced a design refresh of the Model 3 on September 1, 2023, bringing a longer driving range, lower production costs, technical improvements, and a restyled exterior and interior. During development, the refresh was codenamed "Project Highland". It was exhibited at the 2023 Munich Motor Show.Tesla said the refreshed Model 3 improved range around 10%, largely from a lower and more aerodynamic nose along with a better rear diffuser and more aerodynamic wheels. The tires protrude slightly from the rims, protecting them from curb rash. They have lower rolling resistance, but no compromise in lateral performance or steering response. This was enabled by changing materials and removing 1 ply. The gap between tire and body was reduced. The improved from 0.225.
Redesigned tail lights eliminated the vertical break between trunk and side.
Interior additions included an touchscreen for rear seat passengers, ventilated front seats, up to 17-speaker sound system, customizable interior accent lighting, and a new steering wheel without turn signal and gear selector stalks. In June 2024, the Edmunds website called the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel "unsafe", criticizing both the absence of a stalk and the design and placement of the buttons. The touchscreen for rear seat passengers and the steering wheel without stalks are changes that were previously implemented on the Model S and X during their "Palladium" refresh. Traditional turn signals returned in the 2025 Model Y refresh. Tesla is returning the turn signal stalk to new Model 3 vehicles in China, and Tesla is offering a paid retrofit for existing Model 3 vehicles without a turn signal stalk. Tesla has also returned the stalk to U.S. and global models for the 2026 model year.
The upgrade had shock-absorbing technology called Frequency Selective Damping, which uses a hydraulic amplifier to concentrate vibration in the 4–6 Hz range.
The update came equipped with HW4 camera and processing technology, which permitted a wider field of view and improved Autopilot's cross-traffic emergency braking.
Gigafactory Shanghai was the first of Tesla's factories to begin making the refreshed Model 3, with the company offering the vehicle for sale in China and markets to which Tesla exports from China, including Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Japan. The refreshed Model 3 was made available for order in North America on January 10, 2024, with these models being produced at the Tesla Fremont Factory.
Design
In 2013, design chief Franz von Holzhausen called the Model 3, "an Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class type of vehicle that will offer everything: range, affordability, and performance" that is targeted toward the mass market. While technology developed for Tesla's earlier Model S sedan was used in the Model 3, it is 20% smaller than the Model S and has its own unique design.One of the most striking and noticeable design choices on the Model 3 was the lack of a front grille. Since electric cars have lower cooling needs than combustion cars, they do not need a front grille, yet many, including the Model S, have one to fit in with the design of other vehicles. All trim levels include an expansive glass roof developed by the Tesla Glass group, from the same glass used for the Tesla Solar Roof.The interior of the Model 3 has been described as minimalist or stark, with few physical controls, instead housing most controls in a single center-mounted touchscreen. Critics praised the screen's interface, but pointed out that the decision requires drivers navigate menus to accomplish what could otherwise be controlled by a button or knob. Tesla is also notable for being one of the few automakers offering no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.