Tesla Model 3 pre-orders reach about a quarter of a million

Tesla Motors has already pre-ordered about a quarter of a million units of its recently announced Model 3 electric car. That is after a little more than a day after the introduction. Interested parties can reserve a Model 3 by paying 1000 euros.

CEO Elon Musk let on Twitter that the number of reservations stood at 232,000 early Saturday morning, significantly more than the 180,000 that was Friday evening noted. It is therefore likely that the number of pre-ordered cars will break through the quarter of a million on Saturday. According to Musk, a Model 3 with the average options package will cost about $ 42,000, so that the potential revenue is already at $ 10 billion, about 8.8 billion euros. Tesla can use the money well; the company is running significant losses.

The electric car maker announced the Model 3 on Thursday night. Having previously released two relatively expensive models with the Model S and Model X, the Model 3 should also be available to ‘average’ consumers, with an entry price of $ 35,000. Tesla promises a minimum range of 350 kilometers on a charge and the car has a 15″ touchscreen positioned on the dashboard.

Despite the great interest, it will take a long time before the Model 3 is actually available. The first car will not roll off the production line until the end of next year, but customers in the Benelux will have to wait until 2018.