Tesla Model 3
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Tesla Model 3 is a
compact executive A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a #Subcompact executive cars, premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the Euro ...
sedan that is battery powered and produced by Tesla. Limited production of the Model 3 began in mid-2017, with the first production vehicle rolling off the assembly line on July 7, 2017. The official launch and delivery of the first 30 cars took place on July 28. The base Model 3 delivers an
EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
-rated
all-electric range All-electric range (AER) is the maximum driving range of an electric vehicle using only power from its on-board battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of an all-electric vehicle, it means the maximum range per recharge. For ...
of and the Long Range version delivers . According to Tesla, the Model 3 carries full
self-driving A self-driving car, also known as an autonomous car, driver-less car, or robotic car (robo-car), is a car that is capable of traveling without human input.Xie, S.; Hu, J.; Bhowmick, P.; Ding, Z.; Arvin, F.,Distributed Motion Planning for S ...
hardware, with periodic software updates adding functionality. The Model 3 was marketed as being more affordable to more people than previous models by Tesla. Since early 2020, the Model 3 is the bestselling electric car in world history, and, in June 2021, became the first electric car to pass the 1 million global sales milestone. The Model 3 has been the world's top selling
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which th ...
(PEV) for three years running, from 2018 to 2020. It has also been the bestselling PEV in the United States for three consecutive years, 2018 to 2020, the top selling PEV in Europe in 2019, and the bestselling PEV in China in 2020.


History

In an interview for ''
Wired Science ''Wired Science'' was a weekly television program that covered modern scientific and technological topics. In January 2007 PBS aired pilot episodes for three different science programs, including ''Wired Science''. Using Nielsen ratings, CPB-sp ...
'' recorded during 2006,
Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a business magnate and investor. He is the founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; owner and CEO of Twitter, Inc.; founder of The Bori ...
presented the as likely being affordable by most people able to purchase new cars. 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 Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
, front and rear trunks, and promised sports-car levels of acceleration performance. Tesla said it would have a 5-Star safety rating and have a . This is lower than the
Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a Battery electric vehicle, battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-moto ...
, 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 (combined for Model S, Model X, and Model 3) 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 lower-cost, highly anticipated, $35,000, Standard Range trim. 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 An autopilot is a system used to control the path of an aircraft, marine craft or spacecraft without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator' ...
, 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 The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in t ...
to become the all-time bestselling plug-in electric car in the U.S. Model 3 sales surpassed the
Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
in early 2020 to become the world's all-time top selling
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which th ...
.


Model naming

During an interview recorded in 2006 Musk referred to (later
Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a Battery electric vehicle, battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-moto ...
), and to . The Model 3 was codenamed Tesla "BlueStar" in the original business plan in 2007. An intended name of "" was not used owing to Ford's trademark for an electric vehicle expected to be released by
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
in early 2019. ''Model 3'', originally stylized as "Model ☰", was announced on Musk's Twitter account on July 16, 2014. A 2015-presentation by
JB Straubel Jeffrey Brian ("JB") Straubel (born December 20, 1975) is an American businessman. He spent 15 years at Tesla, as chief technical officer until moving to an advisory role in July 2019. In 2017, Straubel founded and became the CEO of Redwood ...
used the name "". Musk had wanted the three models to spell ''
SEX Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
'', but settled for " S3X". In early 2017, after trademark opposition regarding
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
's
three stripes Three stripes is a trademark of Adidas consisting of three parallel lines, which typically feature along the side of Adidas apparel. Adidas was known for this branding early in its history, with its owner, Adolf Dassler, describing it as "The t ...
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. Employees of Tesla and
SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of ...
were given early access to Model 3 reservations, and about 10,000 signed up without discount, scheduled to receive the first batch of cars. 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. (Employees and current owners were likely to be more tolerant of early production flaws: both the Model S and the Model X had several problems at the start of their production, and have since improved.) On the morning of March 31, 2016, tens of thousands of people waited in lines to place the refundable deposit to reserve a Model 3 for 2017 delivery. During 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. ''Tesla Motors had sold 107,000 Model S cars by the end of 2015'' One week after the unveiling, Tesla said it had over 325,000 reservations, more than triple the number of
Model S The Tesla Model S is a battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-motor and rear-wheel drive l ...
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 The Citroën DS () is a Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations ...
that had 80,000 deposits during the ten days of the
Paris Auto Show The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
, 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 , 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.


Design

In 2013 design chief
Franz von Holzhausen Franz von Holzhausen (born May 10, 1968) is an American vehicle designer. Since 2008, he has been in charge of design at Tesla Inc., Tesla, Inc. He designed the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model 3, Model 3, Tesla Model X, Model X, Tesla Model Y, Model Y, ...
said that the Model 3 will "be an
Audi A4 The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first ...
,
BMW 3 Series The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations. The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
,
Mercedes-Benz C-Class The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...
type of vehicle that will offer everything: range, affordability, and performance" that is targeted toward the mass market. While technology from Tesla's Model S will be used in the Model 3, it will be 20% smaller than the Model S and have its own unique design. According to Tesla's CTO,
JB Straubel Jeffrey Brian ("JB") Straubel (born December 20, 1975) is an American businessman. He spent 15 years at Tesla, as chief technical officer until moving to an advisory role in July 2019. In 2017, Straubel founded and became the CEO of Redwood ...
, in October 2015, most Tesla engineers were working on the 3 rather than S or X. Since electric cars have lower cooling needs than combustion cars, the Model 3 does not have nor need a front grille. Musk intended for the final design to be released on June 30, 2016 but when the design was finished on July 27, it was not publicly released. After the final design of the first Model 3, any further changes would be included in future versions of the Model 3. The standard glass roof developed by Tesla Glass is made of the same glass used for Tesla's roof tiles. In November 2020, the Model 3 was refreshed with cosmetic and internal changes, many carried over from the Model Y. The refreshed Model 3 replaced the chrome door handles, side mirror trim, window trim, and camera covers with a black finish. Double-paned front window glass, a powered trunk, new center console, and minor performance upgrades were added to all Model 3 trim levels. The car's engineering was updated to reflect Tesla's advances with the Model Y, including the introduction of a heat pump and proprietary octovalve that increases the car's heating and cooling efficiency.


Production

, Tesla planned to increase the size of the
Tesla Factory The Tesla Fremont Factory is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, operated by Tesla, Inc. The facility opened as General Motors' Fremont Assembly in 1962, and was later operated by NUMMI, a GM–Toyota joint venture. Tes ...
in
Fremont, California Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area, Fremont has a population of 230,504 as of 2020, making it the fourth List of cities and towns in the San Fra ...
, to accommodate Model 3 production.


Production stages

In a 2013 interview,
Jerome Guillen Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...
discussed "BlueStar" (codename for the Model 3 project), stating that Tesla was expecting to eventually produce 400,000 cars per year. In May 2016 Tesla told its suppliers that it intended to double earlier-announced Model 3 production targets to 100,000 in 2017 and 400,000 in 2018 due to demand, which suppliers and many experts viewed as unattainable. In the Tesla Factory, paint lines for 500,000 automobiles commenced in 2015, and some stamping equipment for the Model 3 was operational by August 2016. Tesla bought Grohmann Engineering, experienced in automated manufacturing, in January 2017. This acquisition launched Tesla Advanced Automation Germany, which Tesla said would develop manufacturing processes to be used initially in Model 3 production. According to Tesla in late 2016, the company expected to invest between and in capital expenditures ahead of the start of Model 3 production. After the two Alpha prototypes were shown (silver and black; red was a shell) in April 2016, Tesla finished the design in late July 2016. Tesla ordered parts equivalent to 300 Beta prototypes in August 2016, preparing for development of the assembly line. As of August 2016, the company intended to make
release candidate A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...
s for testing prior to actual production. Tesla began building Model 3 prototypes in early February 2017 as part of the testing of the vehicle design and manufacturing processes. Tesla said in late 2016 that initial crash test results had been positive. Crash test results in mid-2019 were scored at 96% for protection of adults; 86% for protection of children and 74% for the way it handles "vulnerable road users" such as pedestrians. In addition, the Model 3's "safety assist" mode scored 94%. In October 2016 Tesla said its production timeline was on schedule. Again in February 2017, Tesla said that vehicle development, supply chain and manufacturing are on track to support volume deliveries of the Model 3 in the second half of 2017. Limited vehicle production began in July 2017 and volume production was scheduled at that time to start by September 2017. As of February 2017, Tesla planned to
ramp up An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
production to exceed 5,000 vehicles per week in Q4 2017 and reach 10,000 vehicles per week in 2018. However, Tesla missed their Q4 production target by a wide amount, as only 2,425 vehicles were produced during the entire 3-month period.
Giga Nevada Gigafactory Nevada (also known as Giga Nevada or Gigafactory 1) is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle component factory in Storey County, Nevada, US. The facility, located east of Reno, is owned and operated by Tesla, Inc., and suppl ...
had been intended to produce battery packs for Model 3 and it was announced in January 2017 that Tesla would also manufacture drive units at Giga Nevada. In February 2017, Tesla said that installation of Model 3 manufacturing equipment was underway in the Fremont factory and at Giga Nevada, where in January, production of battery cells for energy-storage products began, which have the same form factor as the cells that will be used in Model 3.


Deliveries

In February 2016 Tesla expected to repeat the delivery schedule of the S and X models: selling at first the highest-optioned cars with higher margins, to help pay for production equipment. However, after the lessons learned from the complicated Model X production, Tesla changed its delivery schedule in early 2017 to produce relatively simpler cars initially, in order to reduce production risk. The first mass-produced Model 3 cars were rear-wheel drive with the long-range battery. Deliveries began in the second half of 2017 as predicted, but not in the numbers Tesla had hoped. As industry experts had predicted, Tesla did not meet the announced delivery targets. The first delivery was on July 7, 2017, to Musk himself and the first 30 production units were delivered on July 28, 2017.


2017

In early July 2017 Musk forecast at least six months of serious production difficulties. Tesla's announced goal at that time was to produce 1,500 units in the third quarter of 2017, increasing to 5,000 per week by end of December 2017, but only 260 vehicles were manufactured during the third quarter. The company blamed production bottlenecks, but said there were "no fundamental issues with the Model 3 production or supply chain" and expressed confidence about its ability to resolve the bottlenecks in the near future. Tesla delivered just 1,542 Model 3 cars in the fourth quarter of 2017, about 2,900 less than Wall Street estimations, which were already halved previously after Tesla published the company's third quarter report. By early November 2017, Musk had postponed the target date for manufacturing 5,000 of the vehicles per week from December 2017 to March 2018. An analyst with Cowan and Company, an investment banking firm, said in November 2017 that "Elon Musk needs to stop over-promising and under-delivering". Customer deliveries totaled 1,764 units in 2017.


2018

Prior to a planned shutdown in mid-April 2018 to further increase production, Tesla produced more than 2,000 Model 3 vehicles for three straight weeks. Global deliveries passed 100,000 units as of October 2018. U.S. Model 3 sales hit 100,000 units in November 2018, reaching this milestone quicker than any previous plug-in electric model. During the first half of 2018, the Model 3 was the top-selling
alternative fuel vehicle An alternative fuel vehicle is a motor vehicle that runs on alternative fuel rather than traditional petroleum fuels (petrol or diesel fuel, petrodiesel). The term also refers to any technology (e.g. electric car, hybrid electric vehicles, Solar ...
in California with 12,674 units, followed by the
Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a Hybrid vehicle drivetrain, hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door Sedan (automobile), sedan, it has been produced only as ...
conventional
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
(10,043). ''See section: "Electric and Plug In Vehicle Segments Move Higher in 2018" – registrations through December March 2018 since 2014.'' The Model 3 was the top-selling
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which th ...
in the U.S. for 12 months in a row through December 2018, ending 2018 as the bestselling plug-in with an estimated 139,782 units delivered, the first time a plug-in car sold more than 100,000 units in one year. ''See Graph: "Top 10 U.S. Plug-in cars (cumulative sales)" and "U.S. Plug-in Car Sales (cumulative)"'' Additionally, the Model 3 ranked as the bestselling
luxury vehicle A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...
in the American market in 2018. The Model 3 topped plug-in electric car sales in California in 2018, with 51,293 units registered, and was the state's best selling car in the near luxury category. ''See section: "Electric Vehicle Registrations Increased Sharply in 2018" – Figures for 2017 were revised.'' The Model 3 was the world's best selling plug-in electric car in 2018. "Global sales totaled 2,018,247 plug-in passenger cars in 2018, with a BEV:PHEV ratio of 69:31, and a market share of 2.1%. The world's top selling plug-in car was the Tesla Model 3, and Tesla was the top selling manufacturer of plug-in passenger cars in 2018, followed by BYD." In 2018, Elon Musk predicted that eventual global demand would likely be between 500,000 and Model 3 cars per year— ranking in between the
BMW 3 Series The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 Series and has been produced in seven generations. The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
and the
Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
.


2019

Retail deliveries in Europe and China began in February 2019. Delivery of the first right-hand drive vehicles began in June 2019, starting with the UK and later in Australia and New Zealand. Similarly to how the first US-made Model 3s were delivered in July 2017, the first Chinese-made Model 3 cars were delivered to employees at the end of 2019. In January 2019 the Model 3 overtook the Model S as the U.S. all-time best selling all-electric car, ''See Graph: "Top 10 U.S. Plug-in cars (cumulative sales)" In January 209 the Tesla Model 3 (148,046) overtook the Model S (144,767). The Chevrolet Volt (152,819) continues as the all-time best selling plug-in car in the U.S.'' and, the next month, also passed the
Chevrolet Volt The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in t ...
to become the all-time top selling plug-in electric car in the U.S. The Tesla Model 3 ended 2019 as the world's best selling plug-in electric car for the second consecutive year, with just over 300,000 units delivered. "Global sales totaled 2,209,831 plug-in passenger cars in 2019. The world's top selling plug-in car was the Tesla Model 3 with 300,075 units delivered, and Tesla was the top selling manufacturer of plug-in passenger cars in 2019 with 367,820 units, followed by BYD with 229,506." The electric car also topped annual plug-in car sales in the U.S. (158,925) and California (59,514) markets for the second time in a row. ''See Chart: "2019 Monthly/Q4 Sales Chart : Annual" – The top selling models were the Tesla Model 3 with 158,925 units, the Toyota Prius Prime with 23,630, the Tesla Model X with 19,225, the Chevrolet Bolt EV with 16,418 and the Tesla Model S with 14,100 units.'' And again listed as the California's best selling car in the near luxury category in 2019. The Model 3 also ranked as the best selling plug-in car in Europe in 2019, with over 95,000 units delivered in its first year in that market, and outselling other key premium models. ''Sales of the Tesla Model 3 in Europe totaled 94,495 units in 2019 (Europe 23) and topped sales in the region in the EV segment.'' It also set records in Norway and the Netherlands, not only as the top selling plug-in car but also as the best selling passenger car model overall.'' To access the sales ranking by model choose "Modell" and the tabs for "2019" and "Desember" – The Tesla Model 3 was the best selling passenger car in Norway in 2019 with 15,683 units registered.'' The sales volume achieved by the Model 3 in 2019 (15,683) is the third largest in Norwegian history, exceeded only by the Volkswagen Bobla (Beetle) in 1969 (16,706), and
Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
in 2015 (16,388). ''With a total of 15,473 new registered Tesla Model 3 (as of December 27, 2019), only Volkswagen has managed a higher number previously, with Bobla in 1969 (16,706 cars), and Golf in 2015 (16,388).'' The Model 3 set a new record in the Netherlands for the highest registrations in one month (22,137) for any single plug-in vehicle in Europe. The Model 3 also was the top selling plug-in car in Canada, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Mexico. ''Check for top selling plug-in car in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Mexico.''


2020

Until 2019, the
Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
was the world's best selling
plug-in electric car A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which th ...
, with global sales of 450,000 units by December 2019. The Tesla Model 3 surpassed Leaf sales in early 2020 to become the world's best selling plug-in electric car ever. Global sales totaled about 814,000 units overall up to December 2020. The Model 3, with 365,240 global deliveries, was the world's best selling plug-in passenger car in 2020 for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the Model 3 was the bestselling plug-in car in China (137,459) and the U.S. (95,135). ''According to
Experian Experian is an American–Irish multinational data analytics and consumer credit reporting company. Experian collects and aggregates information on over 1 billion people and businesses including 235 million individual U.S. consumers and more t ...
, in 2020 the top U.S. EVs by registrations were the Tesla Model 3 (95,135), Tesla Model Y (71,344), Chevrolet Bolt EV (19,664), the Tesla Model X (19,652), Tesla Model S (14,430) and the Nissan Leaf (8,972). All four Tesla models accounted for 200,561 registrations, up 16% from 2019.''
''See table: Top 10 NEV sold in China in 2020.'' The Model 3 also was the most popular plug-in electric car in California in 2020 (38,580), as well as the state's best selling car in the near luxury category. ''A total of 132,742 plug-in electric passenger cars (101,628 BEVs and 31,114 PHEVs) and were registered in 2020. Registration figures between 2016 and 2019 were revised, resulting in significantly higher estimates than previously reported through 2019.'' The Model 3 has topped both California's and the U.S. national plug-in car sales for three years in-a-row, from 2018 to 2020.


2021

In 2021, the Model 3 became the all-time bestselling electric vehicle in the Netherlands with over 78,996 cars registered at the end of June 2021. The Model 3 became the first electric car to sell over 1 million units globally in June 2021. It was also the bestselling electric vehicle of 2021 in the UK, with 34,783 registered, beating the second most popular electric car, the
Kia e-Niro The Kia Niro ( ko, 기아 니로) is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) manufactured by Kia since 2016. It is an electrification-focused vehicle, offering three versions: Hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and Battery electric ve ...
, by over 22,500 registrations. These figures also made the Model 3 the second bestseller in the UK new car market in 2021, only beaten by the
Vauxhall Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrole ...
, a cheaper
B-segment The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
vehicle. The 9,612 Model 3s sold in December were more than double the sales of any other car in that month. In October 2021, Hertz car rental ordered 100,000 full-price cars for its rental fleet.


Concerns

In May 2018
Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...
found "big flaws, such as long stopping distances in our emergency braking test and difficult-to-use controls", finding the braking distance was worse than a Ford F-150 full-size truck, and branding the Model 3 "not recommended". Tesla responded to the claims with concern and, over the next weekend, released an OTA update for the anti-lock braking algorithm. Consumer Reports, impressed with the prompt OTA update, verified the improved braking performance and changed their rating to a recommended model. In February 2019 Consumer Reports revoked the Model 3 recommendation because "many customers have reported problems with the ar including loose body trim and glass defects." As with Model S and Model X, Model 3 production flaws were reduced over time. In November 2019 Consumer Reports reinstated the Model 3 recommendation, claiming it was the fifth-most reliable of twelve compact luxury cars. During long-term testing of a Model 3 in December 2019, ''Car and Driver'' experienced a rear
inverter A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...
short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...
after and 3 months of ownership. It was their first long-term vehicle to suffer such a major failure while parked. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, closure of the Shanghai factory at the end of January, and supply chain issues, Tesla used the 2.5 version processor instead of the 3.0 processor that Chinese users expected to find in their vehicles. This led to mass complaints. Tesla promised to upgrade the hardware free of charge once the supply chain is restored. The 2021 Tesla Model 3 vehicles built on or after April 27, 2021, had modified Forward Collison Warning (FCW) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) safety features, resulting in lower Consumer Reports and Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) scores. The change was from using Radar to Camera technology called Tesla Vision. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...
has open an investigation over phantom braking in these new vehicles. In May 2022, a
relay attack A relay attack (also known as the two-thief attack) in computer security is a type of hacking technique related to man-in-the-middle and replay attacks. In a classic man-in-the-middle attack, an attacker intercepts and manipulates communications ...
was discovered where an attacker could gain remote control of a Model 3 (or a Model Y) if they could get within range of a
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
key of the owner.


Specifications


Engineering and changes

When production began in 2017, the base Model 3 was announced to have a 50-kWh battery with a range of about while the optional 75-kWh battery would have a range of about . Tesla did not produce base Model 3s in 2017 or 2018. The battery uses 2170-size lithium-ion cells. The 350-volt (nominal, 400v max) Model 3 battery packs are made of four longitudinal modules each containing the groups (bricks). The Standard Range version carries 2,976 cells arranged in 96 groups of 31. The Long Range version carries 4,416 cells arranged in 96 groups of 46, and weighs in a 0.40 m³ volume; a density of 150 Wh/kg. The car's onboard AC/DC converter is 11 kW. In Europe this requires
Three-phase electric power Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3φ) is a common type of alternating current used in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system employing three wires (or four including an optional neutral ...
, otherwise single-phase power is 7.4 kW. Tesla continues to improve the design of the 2170 battery cell and introduces incremental improvements into the manufacturing line periodically. Tesla began manufacture of the "lighter, better, cheaper" 2170 cell during 2018, with a company goal of reducing the
cost In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which ...
of assembled battery packs to by December 2018, and moving the new cell into volume production at Giga Nevada during the first quarter of 2019.
Electrek ''Electrek'' is an American news website dedicated to electric transportation and sustainable energy. Electrek is known for its extensive, positive coverage of electric transportation in general and Tesla specifically. Their positive coverage ...
reported in late 2018 that the improved battery cell design was needed to further reduce battery costs as Tesla was planning to begin to deliver the Model 3 Standard Range for the promised base price of the following year.Tesla is working on new and improved battery cells
, Electrek, November 13, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
The
inverter A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...
for the Model 3 drive unit uses 24 pairs of
silicon carbide Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum (), is a hard chemical compound containing silicon and carbon. A semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as a powder and crystal sin ...
(SiC)
MOSFET The metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) is a type of field-effect transistor (FET), most commonly fabricated by the controlled oxidation of silicon. It has an insulated gate, the voltage of which d ...
chips rated for 650 volts each. In July 2018 media reported that a Model 3 prototype was seen in California and Nevada while towing a trailer in an apparent evaluation of a
tow bar A tow hitch (or tow bar or trailer hitch in North America) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing, or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear. It can take the form of a tow ball to allow swiveling and articulation of a trailer, ...
. In May 2019 Tesla started offering an optional tow bar rated for available with Standard Range Plus and Long Range for the European Model 3. Towing a trailer may increase consumption by 40%. Towing capacity . Towing is not available for the Performance model. The Model 3 uses regenerative braking, which was tweaked and improved in October 2018 via a software update. In October 2019 Tesla released a software update including a 5% power upgrade and peak power optimization to owners of the Model 3, via software version 2019.36.2.1, which showed noticeable improvements in acceleration and overall speed. In December 2019, Tesla offered Long Range dual-motor Model 3 owners who had software version 2019.40.2 the option to purchase a US$2000 "Acceleration Boost" software upgrade enabling a Sport driving mode, advertised to reduce 0- time from 4.4s to 3.9s. Road testing confirmed better-than-expected acceleration with drivers in Sport mode reaching 0- in 3.67s from standstill and 3.47s with a 1-foot rollout. Structurally, the Model 3 is mostly steel, and most body panels are aluminum. The width was chosen to fit with
automated parking system An automated (car) parking system (APS) is a mechanical system designed to minimize the area and/or volume required for parking cars. Like a multi-story parking garage, an APS provides parking for cars on multiple levels stacked vertically to ma ...
s in Japan. Due to its smaller size, the Model 3 is expected to consume less energy than the Model Y, and thus have longer range. Traditional
stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...
is not made for dual-motor control or the faster response time in electric motors, and Tesla modified the control unit. The motors have magnets arranged in a
Halbach array A Halbach array is a special arrangement of permanent magnets that augments the magnetic field on one side of the array while cancelling the field to near zero on the other side. This is achieved by having a spatially rotating pattern of magn ...
. The cooling system is integrated to reduce size and cost. Sometime during August 2020, Tesla added heating hardware to the Model 3's charge port which was enabled by software update later in the year to prevent ice buildup.


Specifications table


Safety

Following
crash testing A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation (see automobile safety) or related systems and comp ...
in 2019, the Model 3 performed very well, receiving five stars in every category from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...
and a 94%
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...
score in
active safety The term active safety (or primary safety) is used in two distinct ways. The first, mainly in the United States, refers to automobile safety systems that help avoid accidents, such as good steering and brakes. In this context, passive safety ref ...
.


Reception

* Car-design columnist and former car designer for GM Robert Cumberford said the Model 3 "is an excellent design" and praised the front fascia skin that he thinks is superior to the black plastic simulated grille of the pre-refresh Model S. Cumberford praised the Model 3's minimalist design, and "elegant simplicity" akin to
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
products. Although he criticized the car's spoiler, he said the Model 3 has a design that would age well, and "in 10 years it will still look contemporary and beautifully understated, not old and irrelevant." * ''
Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...
'' said the nose was controversial and polarizing, but probably intentionally so. '' Vanity Fair'' and others compared the Model 3 to the
Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
for its intended affordability as a volume-produced electric vehicle and for its limited set of options, namely range, wheels and exterior color of which all but white costs extra. Automotive journalist
Doug DeMuro Douglas DeMuro (born May 22, 1988) is an American YouTuber, author, columnist, writer, and Internet entrepreneur who currently lives in San Diego, California. DeMuro's focus is on the automotive industry; his car review-focused YouTube channel h ...
said the Model 3 was better, though $2,000 more expensive, than the BMW 340i and that it was the "coolest car of the year," later clarifying that this was based on the "long waiting lists, obsessive interest and news stories."
Alex Roy Alexander Roy (born November 23, 1971) is an American writer, podcaster, TV host and rally race driver who has set various endurance driving records, including the US " Cannonball Run" transcontinental driving record, which he and Dave Maher bro ...
said that DeMuro's review had concentrated on hardware details and missed out on the bigger picture. * Automotive-industry analyst Toni Sacconaghi of
AllianceBernstein AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (AB) is a global asset management firm providing investment management and research services worldwide to institutional, high-net-worth and retail investors. AllianceBernstein's headquarters are located in Nashvill ...
said after driving one of the early Tesla vehicles in November 2017 that "Overall, we found the Model 3 to be a compelling offering, and believe it is likely to further galvanize the overall Electric Vehicle category." He was less impressed with build quality of the test samples. "Fit and finish on the two demo cars we saw—perhaps not surprisingly—was relatively poor." He said that there were quality issues at first with the Model X which led to some concern. "This is going to be a much, much higher-volume car, and if there are any quality issues, that could overwhelm the service centers and undermine the Tesla brand." Nonetheless, Sacconaghi was impressed with the ride quality, performance and interior space, and concluded that the 3 "risks cannibalizing the uch more expensiveModel S going forward." * ''
Road & Track ''Road & Track'' (stylized as ''R&T'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published 6 times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York, New York. History ''Road & Track'' (often ab ...
''s Bob Sorokanich said the "Model 3 proves that Tesla is thinking far beyond the edges of the Model S and X. Stepping out of the 3, you realize that, as far as the S and X pushed the envelope, they were always meant as intermediaries, stepping stones designed to draw people away from comfortable convention and into the future of the automobile. ... The Model 3 is Tesla at its most unabashed. It's an automaker finally willing to abandon the skeuomorphism of a false radiator grille, the tradition of a driver-oriented gauge panel." * In 2018, a Model 3 was driven 606.2 miles (975 km) on a single charge, setting a
hypermiling Hypermiling is driving or flying a vehicle with techniques that maximize fuel efficiency. Those who use these techniques are called "hypermilers". In the case of cars, this is an extreme form of energy-efficient driving. Hypermiling can be practi ...
driving record. * In early 2019, Kelley Blue Book announced that the Tesla Model 3 was the winner of the "Best Resale Value Award" for all automobiles in the US market "with a projected 69.3% resale value after 36 months and 48.7% after 60 months."


Awards

* ''
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' named the Tesla Model 3 as the magazine's 2018 Car of the Year. Model 3 was given the 2018 Design of the Year award by ''
Automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
'' magazine. * In the United Kingdom, the Model 3 was named 2019 Car of the Year by ''
Auto Express ''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Autovia Limited. The editor-in-chief is Steve Fowler. History and profile Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. ...
'' magazine, and 2020 Car of the Year by ''Parkers'' magazine, where it was also named "Best Electric Car" and "Best Company Car", and won the "Best Safety" award for any vehicle on the market. * The Model 3 won best mid-size car in the 2019 ''
Das Goldene Lenkrad Das Goldene Lenkrad ('The Golden Steering Wheel') is one of the best-known German awards for new car models. It has been awarded since 1976 by the Axel Springer SE-owned tabloid ''BILD am Sonntag'' (''BamS''), since 2009 in cooperation with ''A ...
'' Golden Steering Wheel awards. * The Model 3 was named the top-rated electric car of 2019 by
Edmunds.com Edmunds.com Inc. (stylized as edmunds) is an American online resource for automotive inventory and information, including expert car reviews based on testing at the company's private facility. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Califor ...
, as well as being named Edmunds' top-rated Luxury Electric Vehicle for 2020. * In late 2019, the Model 3 was also named a Top Safety Pick+ by the
IIHS The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collision ...
. The Model 3 also won Car of the Year in Denmark, Car of the Year 2020 in Norway, and Swiss Car of the Year 2020. * The Model 3 was named as UK Car of the Year 2020 by a panel of 29 motoring journalists. The director of the awards stated that the car's "technology, performance and range" were converting opinions in favor of electric vehicles. * The car was chosen as one of the Top 10 Tech Cars by the
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
in 2018. * In January 2021, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus was named Large Electric Car of the Year by ''
What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...
'' magazine. ''What Car?'' awarded the Model 3 five stars out of five in its review of the car. * In May 2021, the Model 3 won Auto Trader UK's New Car Award for Best Car for Families. ''Auto Trader'' awarded the Model 3 four and a half stars out of five in its review of the car.


Recalls

* In December 2021, 356,309 2017–2020 Model 3 vehicles were recalled because of the possibility of damage to the rear view camera wiring harness caused by trunk operation.


See also

* Government incentives for electric vehicles have been established by authorities around the world *
List of electric cars currently available This is a list of battery electric vehicles that are mass-produced, formerly produced, and planned. It includes only vehicles exclusively using chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion (e.g ...
*
List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles This is a list of battery electric vehicles that are mass-produced, formerly produced, and planned. It includes only vehicles exclusively using chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion (e.g ...
*
List of production battery electric vehicles This is a list of battery electric vehicles that are mass-produced, formerly produced, and planned. It includes only vehicles exclusively using chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion ( ...
*
List of Easter eggs in Tesla products Tesla products include a significant number of software and hardware Easter eggs among other notable and unique software features, such as a suite of video games, doggy mode, emissions testing mode, "caraoke", and romance mode. ''Back to the Futu ...
*
Tesla Supercharger A Tesla Supercharger is a 480-volt direct current fast-charging technology built by American vehicle manufacturer Tesla, Inc. for electric cars. The Supercharger network was introduced on September 24, 2012, with six Supercharger stations ...


References


External links

* {{Tesla timeline 2020s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 2016 Compact executive cars Electric car models Electric cars Production electric cars Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Sports sedans ANCAP large family cars Euro NCAP large family cars
Model 3 The Tesla Model 3 is a compact executive sedan that is battery powered and produced by Tesla. Limited production of the Model 3 began in mid-2017, with the first production vehicle rolling off the assembly line on July 7, 2017. The offici ...