Elon Musk expresses gratitude for Tesla supporters, intends “to do right by the loyalty you’ve shown us”

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Throughout a heartfelt presentation for the Model 3 release party, Elon Musk repeatedly expressed his and Tesla’s immense appreciation of the loyalty given to the company by its many fans.

He specifically thanked those who purchased the Model S, Model X, and Roadster vehicles for making the Model 3 possible. He also gave shout-outs to the many fans who waited for hours or even days in order to be first in line for Model 3 reservations last year. Musk said that the team at Tesla would enter “manufacturing hell” over the next six to nine months as they attempt to ramp up production of the vehicle, hoping to reach a volume of 5,000 a month by the end of 2017.

With the audience largely populated by Tesla employees, there was still a tangible air of excitement in spite of the difficult and long hours almost certainly ahead of everyone who works at the company. Musk reiterated the hope that Tesla would be able to able to ship all the initial reservations by the end of 2018, and also told those reserving a Model 3 now that there is a chance they will also receive their vehicles by that same time. It seems likely that that will slip to 2019, but Tesla has long publicly acknowledged the fact that delays were possible or even likely as the company attempts to reach unprecedented levels of EV production.

While rather short on specific details many hoped for, today marks the beginning of customers taking their Model 3s home. While only 30 vehicles have been released thus far, that number should rise rapidly into the tens of thousands by the end of the year. Soon to come will be the first publicized customer opinions of the vehicles, so keep your eyes peeled.

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