There will be more to the Tesla Model III when it arrives in 2017 than an “affordable” price and roughly 200 miles of driving range.
CEO Elon Musk told Nikkei that the company plans to offer self-driving cars by about 2020, but that some of the systems necessary for that capability will be packaged in its the Model III sedan slated to go on sale in roughly three years. Components and sensors will be sourced from suppliers, but Tesla will handle programming how the system functions.
On September 4, Tesla confirmed that it reached a deal with the Nevada government and that the state would host its first-ever battery production facility. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed tax breaks for the company that can be worht up to $1.3 billion alongside an agreement that will allow the company to sell its cars directly to Nevada residents. The embattled electric car maker has faced constant opposition from various state automobile dealer associations challenging the company’s factory-to-customer business model.
During the Nikkei interview, Musk emphasized that Tesla expects to charge the Model III starting at roughly $35,000 to put it in the same price category as cars like a BMW 3 Series. The so-called “Gigafactory” will devote half of its space to Panasonic, Tesla’s principle partner in the project, while serving as a home to the company’s battery cell production line and an unspecified list of key suppliers. The company will greatly increase its battery supply while simultaneously driving production costs down through increased production efficiency; a crucial factor in making Musk’s price goal for the Model III feasible.
[Source: Nikkei]
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