Thousands line up to pre-order the new Tesla Model 3, but will Elon Musk deliver?

Tesla Model 3

The new, affordable Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle was unveiled yesterday to much fanfare.

Media outlets report long lines outside Tesla stores around the country, as eager Tesla fans hope to qualify for the government's $7,500 EV federal subsidy.

Over 150,000 hopefuls plunked down $1,000 to pre-order the new, affordable M3 with a current sticker price of $35,000.

But, as The Daily Beast reports, Tesla founder Elon Musk is notorious for delaying vehicle delivery dates. Fans who pre-ordered the M3 today probably won't take delivery of their cars until 2018.

And as for that $7,500 federal subsidy, it might not be available by the time the cars roll off the assembly line in 2018.

Additionally, the $35,000 price will likely balloon to $60,000 by the time 2018 rolls around, making the car unappealing to fans like loyal reader Diron, aka Eastpointvet, who fronted the capital to help build the cars.

The Daily Beast -- [E]xisting Tesla owners (by definition, wealthy people) … have enough [cash] to spend on a fully specced Model 3 that could approach the Model S’s $80,000 base price. The new, downmarket buyers who have waited patiently for Tesla to deliver its long-promised affordable electric car are likely to be stuck paying full price for a bare-bones version of the Model 3, with little to no help from the federal subsidy. But because their need is the greatest, these desperate fans have the strongest motivation to line up at Tesla stores and put down $1,000 for a car they have never seen and may never be able to afford.

  • iWasteTime

    Hey Sandra, TGIF!
    I hate his name but the car is dope !

  • Chaseboogie The Prince

    That's a nice looking car. Love the color and design. I'd buy it.

  • Yoni

    Nice car. But what dat gas mileage do? LMAO

  • nucynu25

    ?????

  • Alicia.Ashe

    Love it.

  • It’s Taurus Season

    This is a very nice looking vehicle.

  • That’s Interesting

    Oh the shade. Smh. That car looks good. I want one.

  • iWasteTime

    If he can get that off in the next year and keep it under 50K he will CHANGE the game; for real!

  • Finding Forever…

    Expensive looking $35,000...NIIIICEE...Will someone purchase & resell it (for DOUBLE), is the real question?

  • https://www.etsy.com/shop/AMarieNaturals Lovezoe

    Those Teslas are NICE.

  • Put some Respeck on B.Sweet

    Telsa is a great idea but the repairs on those cars are not where they need to be. There are few places to get them repaired and the repairs are extremely expensive. You're better off getting a Chevy Volt or a Toyota Prius or something that's hybrid from other manufacturers.

  • BLACK *I*C*E*

    Is this car considered NICE looking because its an Electric car???
    Cause if not.....there's nothing special looking about this car.

  • Readytochokemothernatureonout

    Looks awesome

  • Low E. {CIRCA 1908}

    IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT I'VE READ SEVERAL PROS AND CONS ABOUT TESLA IN MOTOR TREND...MAN IS IT NICE THO!

  • Low E. {CIRCA 1908}

    I THINK BECAUSE IT DIFFERS FROM THE AVERAGE CAR...NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE IT'S ELECTRIC. IMO

  • harley_quinn2.0

    It's nice looking car. I love the red.

  • http://sandrarose.com SandraRose

    Tesla cars are for rich people who have more than one vehicle who can afford to let a car sit in the shop for weeks or months.

  • LeBrick James

    ...
    I'm not all that impressed. Not paying $35k for a car either. I dont believe in spending a lot of money for transportation.

    Next car for me is gonna be the 2016 Honda Civix EX in black... $23,700. Good looking, nice features, proven quality brand, great fuel economy. Works for me.

  • Readytochokemothernatureonout

    New post don't truss it lol

  • T’acheItEzeInMy6″Heels

    The director of the agency I work for has a Tesla. It's sharp.

  • http://sandrarose.com SandraRose

    It is nice looking, but Teslas are for people who can afford to let a car sit in the repair shop for weeks or months.

  • Put some Respeck on B.Sweet

    Glad it's not my money.

  • BLACK *I*C*E*

    Hmmmmm...Okay.

  • BRuhman_Vista

    LOL.

  • Jusstlookn

    One of the Developers has one here to, it's NASTYYYYY..Janet Jackson NASTY

  • Yoni

    Toyota's and Honda's are the shit! Acura's RULE!

  • Yoni

    Hell, that's why you get a "beater" or a "slider". You don't HAVE TO be rich to own more than one working/dependable car.

  • Blue

    Here we go with folks asking if anybody got a Tesla Charger they can borrow.

  • That’s Interesting

    Lmao!

  • MISSMEWITDATBULL

    LOL!!!!

  • n1kk1a

    I just think it's pretty...?

  • n1kk1a

    I just thinks it's pretty...?

  • iWasteTime

    bwhahahahahaha

  • 80sChild

    My crush Ben Carson owns one!

  • Deno Spencer

    Lmao!!!!@tesla n Hawthorne ca. Flew in to order.hahahahahaha.

  • Deno Spencer

    Lol I'm not rich but yes couple more cars. But someone said this car 35,000 noooo its 85,0000 custome. But the resale is good and you get free Hov access and government rebate.

  • ramosyo

    Rich people problems....

  • Fendi

    That was generous of you to say. There are 150,000 idiots who put a measly $1,000 down on a car that they may not be able to afford when it is released. All of this information is tentative. I have a sneaking suspicion that $35k will be the base price. The cars will cost more. The repairs will be expensive, if not impossible. The insurance will be sky high. And what if the cars have defects?!.

    Being the first to have something isn't always good.

  • http://sandrarose.com SandraRose

    I think you're referring to the Model S which starts at $80K. The $35K Tesla 3 won't be out until 2018.

  • Li

    Whatever Elon Musk does, the public will eat it up. This man is a genius and I can't wait for the bullet train TrainX to get going. In fact, I don't want to wait for it, I want it NOW. We need a cross country bullet train like Japan & China.
    As for the Tesla - I saw the GM Volt E-car at the Auto show and if I was in the market for a car and had the money, I would buy the Volt hands down. So if the Tesla is similar to the Volt, it's a winner. They both cost about the same money.

  • http://instagram.com/eastpointvet eastpointvet

    Y'all do know the car really has nothing to repair right? It's no engine so 95% of problems beside a battery issue can be fixed by a computer. And they all covered by tesla because they sale the cars directly unless you happened to buy one third party. So I don't know where the idea of high repair cost when there is literally no engine to upkeep.

  • Unita Lucinda “Lucy” Freebush

    215

  • Put some Respeck on B.Sweet

    I know about cars and the Tesla. You know that a Tesla still has other systems like power steering, air pumps, braking, air conditioners etc. I don't know what kind of cars you've had but engines are not the only things that fail. The cost of wrecking one of these cars is high. The service inspections included in many high end cars have to be paid for. Have a good day.

  • http://instagram.com/eastpointvet eastpointvet

    It has electric power steering and heating and air. Since it uses regenerative breaking you more than likely won't need brakes for the duration of owning the car. Again this not your typical "high end" car maintenance. The warranty is one of the best in the business and anything besides tires are covered so the cost of maintaining a tesla is about 1/4 of other cars in its class for the model x and s.

  • http://sandrarose.com SandraRose

    Not true. Tesla repairs are very expensive. If the battery dies on a Tesla Model S, it costs $30,000 to replace it. Most insurance companies will total the car rather than pay to repair the aluminum body if your MS has a little fender bender. Tesla owners complain about the lack of authorized repair shops in their cities. They pay $$$ to tow their cars hundreds of miles to a Tesla repair shop. There is only one authorized Tesla repair shop in all of Georgia. You can take your Tesla to any repair shop, but Tesla only ships their replacement parts to that one authorized repair shop. It can takes weeks for Tesla to ship out the parts. Even then, you will wait in line behind all the other Tesla cars in the shop. That's why they say Teslas are for rich people who can afford to let their cars sit.

  • http://sandrarose.com SandraRose

    Google "Tesla repairs" and read the horror stories. One guy wrote, "Just don’t get in an accident, due to parts availability. It takes a month to get parts and get fixed up. Also, the repairs aren’t cheap. So just don’t get in an accident."

    This is what $30,000 worth of damage on a Tesla looks like >>
    http://gas2.org/2015/01/06/this-is-what-30000-of-damage-looks-like-on-a-tesla-model-s/

  • http://instagram.com/eastpointvet eastpointvet

    The battery is the most expensive part of the car and furthermore if you spent 100k on the cars thats out having it cost 30k to repair aint a big deal especially when its not coming out of your pocket at most you are inconvenienced with time. And out of thousands of cars there will be a few that have problems. Just as i know friends with Teslas who sing nothing but praises for them and had no problems. Overall people are happy with them and that have advantages other cars in the price range dont have.

  • Queen B

    I'll order the car if I can get the 7500 when i file my taxes next year lol ?

  • Brian Khanzadeh

    250