Way back in 2006, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk laid out his vision for his electric-car company in a blog post promising that its six-figure luxury cars would be succeeded by increasingly affordable vehicles. Ten years later, it’s here in the form of the Model 3.
Musk described the vehicle at its unveiling in California on Thursday night as “the final step in the master plan, which is a mass-market, affordable car.” Already, 115,000 people have plunked down $1,000 deposits to order the car two years before it’s available.
Public enthusiasm and anticipation are once again being driven up to levels the rest of the auto industry could only hope to generate.
Beyond the hype there are a number of warning signs that indicate this intense excitement may ultimately lead to disappointment and even Tesla’s ruin.
