TESLA’S MODEL 3 IS MAKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES SUCCESSFUL EVEN BEFORE ITS LAUNCH

[Guest Nicole]

THE MODEL 3, Tesla's long-awaited mass-market electric vehicle, launches Friday to what will no doubt be significant fanfare. The unveiling isn't only a coming-of-age party for the nascent car manufacturer; it feels like a significant moment in EV history, too. “It is the car that has been promised to us since the inception of this industry,” says Terry O’Day, who heads up marketing at the electric charging company EVgo. “It’s the moment that we demonstrate a mass-produced vehicle that is affordably priced and has features that don’t require consumers to compromise in any way.”

That's a lot of pressure for the relatively small carmaker. What if it doesn't live up to expectations?

The answer to that question almost doesn't matter. At least not for the general public. If the Model 3 does well, it's a win for the electric vehicle market. And if the worst happens—say, a factory grinds to a halt and creates gigantic production delays—future EVs can coast off Tesla’s cultural cache. This is the company that managed to make electric vehicles cool. (Remember when Tyler the Creator bought a Tesla?)

So, in a sense, no matter the outcome, Tesla has already succeeded by pushing EVs into the public consciousness—and onto the market. The less sexy, but cheaper, Chevrolet Bolt is on the roads. So is the fully electric BMW i3, which will be followed by fully electric Minis and X3s in the next three years or so. Volvo’s making an electric pivot come 2019. Battery technology continues to improve at a surprising rate, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts the number of electric cars on the road will overtake internal combustion ones by 2038.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-model-3-electric-market/