Just as promised, Elon Musk took to Twitter to post photos of the first Tesla Model 3, sharing two images late last night in advance of the car’s official launch later this month. But what’s interesting about this first-ever Model 3 is that it will be headed right back to the Tesla CEO, as the first person to pay a deposit for the vehicle had given its rights to Musk as a birthday gift.
As CNET noted, the Model 3 represents Tesla’s first true foray into mass production , after years producing high-performance niche vehicles like the Model S, as well as the Model X SUV. As compared to the premium-priced vehicles mentioned above, the Model 3 will be sold at the relatively affordable price point of $35,000 and boasts of a simpler design than either one of its recent predecessors. The car should also help Tesla far exceed its year-end sales figures of about 85,000 units, as Musk has set a production volume goal of 500,000 units by next year.
There’s no doubt that the Model 3 is a very important vehicle for Musk and Tesla. But the first Tesla Model 3 won’t be going to company investor and board member Ira Ehrenpreis, who had put down the first deposit on the vehicle. Instead, this coveted vehicle is going right back to Musk, as Ehrenpreis had reportedly gifted his rights to the car to the Tesla boss, as a present for his 46th birthday, which he celebrated on June 28.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2017
First Production Model 3 pic.twitter.com/TCa2NSUNI3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2017
What you see above are photos of the first production Tesla Model 3, as it poses outside the company’s headquarters in Fremont, California, showcasing what does look like a simpler design language to match its lower price point. Musk posted the images on Saturday night as a teaser for the car’s upcoming launch, and with less than three weeks before this event, consumers are eagerly awaiting the Model 3’s formal arrival.
Meanwhile, the lucky few who were among the first to place their deposits on the Model 3 will have to wait until July 28, when Tesla officially launches the car and delivers 30 units to these early-bird depositors. CNET wrote that since Ira Ehrenpreis gave his rights to the first Tesla Model 3 as a birthday gift to Musk, he will be receiving the second production unit instead.
A separate report from The Verge notes that production is gradually ramping up , as Tesla hopes to have 100 Model 3 units by August, over 1,500 by September, and a good 20,000 in December.
[Featured Image by Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Images]
