Straubel: Tesla Model 3 Hitting Showrooms In Sedan, Crossover Variants

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Tesla dropped a bombshell at a conference in Washington Monday, when Chief Technical Officer J.B. Straubel said the Model 3 would be two separate models.

Per Straubel, not only would there be a sedan to take home, but a crossover Model 3, as well, Wall Street Journal reports, complimenting the Model S and upcoming X at the entry-level starting price of $35,000. Both models are due in 2017, and will give owners 200 miles to enjoy the silence with every charge. No other details were given at this time.

Meanwhile, Straubel says Tesla is working on new models set to come after the Model 3 — no details were given here, either — and reiterated CEO Elon Musk’s statement of selling 500,000 units annually by 2020, adding there would be 1 million Teslas on the road around the world by then, as well.

The announcement comes on the heels of the automaker receiving a secured revolving credit line of up to $750 million in an agreement with Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. The line of credit is meant to give Tesla some breathing space as it prepares to launch the long-awaited Model X, expected to hit showrooms this fall barring (yet) another delay.

[Photo credit: Tesla/ Facebook]

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • FractureCritical FractureCritical on Jun 16, 2015

    1. is a pure guess on your part. there's nothing to say that the Model 3 wouldn't have AWD. Besides, BMW sells many more 3 series than Audi sells A4's, and I would bet many of the 3 series are RWD. Audi also sells a goodly amount of A4's that are front wheel drive (eewww!) 2. Are you referencing a Billy Joel song? Because that would actually be pretty cool. 3. A lot of people who are going to drop your $50k estimate on a car are probably going to have a place to keep it. If they live in the city where parking is hard, they're probably not driving 200 miles per week, or possibly even per month. and it's a lot easier to find an electrical outlet in NYC than it is a gas station.

  • Orenwolf Orenwolf on Jun 16, 2015

    I'd have traded in my RX8 already for a model S if it weren't for the fact that they basically cost $120k in Canada (but then, my 2011 RX8 was almost $60k!). I'm patiently waiting for the Mazda6 Diesel to come out, but who knows if that will ever happen. Until then, I will enjoy the RX8 until the Tesla Model 3 is here. I live in an apartment. The Apartment folks lept at the chance to assist in building a charging infrastructure downstairs if I get an electric vehicle, for the positive marketing aspects. And I also have the advantage that I use Bullfrog Power for my electricity, which is all from wind and hydroelectric sources (a big thing up here in the great white north), thereby really going hydrocarbon-free for my driving. I do tend to road trip to Florida, New York, or Chicago fairly often, but there's charging infrastructure for that. The rest of the time 200 miles more than covers a daily trip for me. There are more than a few folks around I know who purchased something like a Prius or (*shudder*) a Volt because they were basically the best options available. I didn't go that route because I actually enjoy driving and I'm sure I'd go insane switiching from the RX8 to a Volt/Pruis/Leaf. But not so for Tesla. So I wait (im)patiently. And I'm most certainly not alone. (Edit: typo)

  • Healthy skeptic Healthy skeptic on Jun 16, 2015

    As a proud 335i owner, I'd say that if some variant of the Model 3 offers 335i-like performance and luxury, I'd seriously consider it. (That and a battle with my HOA to get EV wiring installed.) If it costs 45-50k to configure to that level--well, that's about on par with BMW. Put any kind of options on a present-day 335i, and you're sailing past 50k. BSTR, who are you trying to convince? Not everyone shares your tastes or priorities.

  • HotPotato HotPotato on Jun 17, 2015

    If they can come through at the price, then this and the Chevy Bolt will change the game completely. And it's only a couple years away, so they say. Can't wait! Tesla is less likely to hit the price point, but they've got a great selling point in their proprietary Supercharger network, whereas the SAE Combo quick charging standard likely to be used by the Chevy is nearly unsupported so far. Either way: No more polluting your neighborhood, dealing with the mechanic, or sending gas money to countries that want to kill us. No noise, vibration or harshness. And, most to the point for me: fun to drive. Electric drive transforms the Chevy Spark from an unbearable 1.2 liter crapbox into a tire-smoking hot hatch with 400 lb ft of instant-on torque. Imagine what it could do in a clean-sheet car.

    • Orenwolf Orenwolf on Jun 17, 2015

      "Either way: No more polluting your neighborhood, dealing with the mechanic, or sending gas money to countries that want to kill us. No noise, vibration or harshness. And, most to the point for me: fun to drive. Electric drive transforms the Chevy Spark from an unbearable 1.2 liter crapbox into a tire-smoking hot hatch with 400 lb ft of instant-on torque. Imagine what it could do in a clean-sheet car." This. I think a lot of people who don't understand the hype around green energy in general forget that lots of people die or are injured every year from smog and pollutants. Forget the macro, anthropogenic climate change argument, are cities are dirtier, and peoples lungs sootier, for all the fossil fuels we burn. Then, on top of that, Tesla makes an electric car that's actually FUN to drive! They won't be the only, either. It doesn't even matter if Tesla is successful or not at hitting their price-point. They'll move the needle, and the tech they're developing (and open-source patenting) will make future electric vehicles cheaper and more efficient.

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