Related: Tesla Model 3 Provides 215 EV Miles
Tesla Model 3 Orders Rise to 325,000
Tesla Motors has received more than 325,000 orders with refundable $1,000 deposits so far for its sleek Model 3 that could make the company more than a niche player with its $35,000 price tag.

Photo of Model 3 courtesy of Tesla Motors.

Photo of Model 3 courtesy of Tesla Motors.
Tesla Motors has received more than 325,000 orders with refundable $1,000 deposits so far for its sleek Model 3 that could make the company more than a niche player with its $35,000 price tag.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been providing updates via his Twitter account, and also confirmed he will offer the Model 3 as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with optional dual-motor all-wheel drive. Tesla posted the latest update on April 7 to its blog.
Musk unveiled the Model 3 on March 31 at a private event in Hawthorne, Calif. He said the vehicle will provide 215 miles of battery-electric driving range and include Autopilot as a standard feature.
Musk hopes to produce 500,000 vehicles a year by 2020 with the more affordable Model 3 providing his higher-volume pathway to that goal. Tesla's Gigafactory, a 5.5-million-square-foot facility outside Sparks, Nev., has become operational. It should begin building lithium-ion battery packs for the Model 3 in late 2017 to coincide with the production of the vehicle.
More Green Fleet

Inspiration Mobility Acquires Key Electrada Assets
Inspiration Mobility Group has acquired select assets of Electrada, adding the fleet electrification provider's team, technology, and charging infrastructure development capabilities to its energy management business.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
Startup ZMD Motors Developing Electric Conversion for Ram 5500 Work Trucks
Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.
Read More →
U.S. EV Adoption Is Climbing, but Commercial and Passenger Markets Diverge
New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?
Read More →
How To Upfit Electric Work Trucks and Vans
The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.
Read More →
How Fleets Can Adjust Approaches To EV Adoption
With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.
Read More →
Despite World Troubles, Forward Thinking Guides Fleets
Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.
Read More →
GM Energy Details Partnerships and Targets for Public Charging Build-Out
EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.
Read More →