Right-hand drive version of more affordable electric car available to order on 1 or 2 May

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Tesla’s latest and more affordable electric car, the Model 3, will finally be available to order in the UK from early May, according to the firm’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

More than 18 months since deliveries of the smaller electric saloon car began in the US, Musk announced that UK orders could be placed from next week, on 1 or 2 May. Those with reservations, which require a £1,000 deposit, will have priority access.

Deliveries of the Model 3 will begin in the second half of 2019, according to Tesla’s UK website. Musk said that orders for other right-hand drive countries, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong would follow shortly after the UK.

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) UK order page will go live around May 1 or 2

While deliveries to left-hand drive mainland Europe started in early February this year, Musk said that he hoped to cover all of eastern Europe by the end of 2019.

The Model 3 launched with the intention of being Tesla’s mass-market electric car, competing directly with the likes of BMW’s 3 series at the premium end of the mid-size car market.

Tesla promised a $35,000 (£27,100) starting price but was only able to deliver on this with the introduction of the “standard range” model in March 2019.

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Pricing in the UK has yet to be formally announced but Musk said in March that he expected the Model 3 to start at about £33,000.

The news comes in the same week Tesla posted a larger-than-expected loss of $702m in its first quarter earnings report with revenue down 37%. Musk blamed low sales numbers in the first quarter on seasonality, saying that people did not like buying cars in winter.

Tesla produced 63,000 Model 3 cars in the first three months of 2019, a 3% increase on the previous quarter, and expects to ship between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles over the whole year.