Tesla’s new Model 3 will be available for public viewing at the company’s Fashion Island location on Friday, Jan. 26. Pricing starts at $35,000, making it Tesla’s most affordable vehicle to date.

Tesla’s new Model 3 will be available for public viewing at the company’s Fashion Island location on Friday, Jan. 26. Pricing starts at $35,000, making it Tesla’s most affordable vehicle to date.

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Tesla’s new Model 3 will be available for public viewing at the company’s Fashion Island location on Friday, Jan. 26. Pricing starts at $35,000, making it Tesla’s most affordable vehicle to date.

Tesla’s new Model 3 will be available for public viewing at the company’s Fashion Island location on Friday, Jan. 26. Pricing starts at $35,000, making it Tesla’s most affordable vehicle to date.

A number of Model 3 sedans were spotted parked atop a parking structure at the South Coast Corporate Center in Costa Mesa. Could these $35,000 electric cars be heading for Fashion Island?



A number of Model 3 sedans were spotted parked atop a parking structure at the South Coast Corporate Center in Costa Mesa. Could these $35,000 electric cars be heading for Fashion Island?

Tesla’s long-anticipated Model 3, the most affordable car in the luxury automaker’s all-electric lineup, will make its Orange County debut Friday, Jan. 26 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

The vehicle, priced at $35,000 before incentives, has already made a splash with customers, garnering more than 450,000 pre-orders since the company began taking reservations in March 2016.

The Fremont-based company helmed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has struggled to meet that demand and several times has delayed its production targets. In early January, Tesla said it expected to assemble 5,000 Model 3s a week by the end of June.

Tesla is expecting a big turnout in Newport Beach, saying similar Model 3 unveilings in New York, the Bay Area, Boston and Miami saw extended lines out of its showrooms, a company statement said.

The Model 3’s debut at the company’s Fashion Island store joins other recent unveilings at Tesla’s La Jolla and Century City showrooms. In a nod to the economic and automotive fervor in Orange County, the company said the local market is one of Tesla’s most important.

On Friday, the public can view the car, inside and out, and ask questions of the Tesla staff.

The four-door Model 3 sedan fits five and is designed as the world’s first mass-market electric car. Specs include Wi-Fi, touchscreen display, a backup camera, voice-activated controls and Bluetooth calling and media streaming.

Aside from the purchase price, the car is easier on the wallet than many other fuel-powered vehicles.

Tesla says Model 3 drivers can travel up to 310 miles on a single charge. The cost to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco runs around $15, and around $120 for a road trip from Los Angeles to New York. For those with a need for speed, the vehicle accelerates from zero to 60 mph in roughly 5 seconds.

A review by Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book said “the car feels substantial and it’s easy to feel that you are driving a smart, silent, finished piece of work and play that tracks smartly through traffic.”

Tesla Newport Beach is located at 367 Newport Center Drive. Those interested in kicking some Tesla tires (so to speak) should park near the Macy’s.

Bloomberg contributed to this report.