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Dual-Motor Model 3 Production Imminent As Tesla Registers First VINs

Tesla Model 3 Dual-Motor 1 photo
Photo: Tesla
Production of the Model 3 started with great pomp and circumstance in July 2017, and to this day, Tesla has yet to hit the production target it has set for the most affordable car it has ever offered. But 2018 will see Tesla hopefully get its act together.
A quick look at Tesla.com reveals all-wheel-drive Model 3s will start production in spring 2018, with international deliveries of left-hand drive vehicles to start in the second half of the year. Come 2019, the Fremont plant will welcome the right-hand drive Model 3 for markest such as the UK.

But first, let’s focus on the Dual-Motor Model 3. According to Model 3 VINs on Twitter, the Palo Alto-based electric vehicle automaker registered 19 examples of the dual-motor variant, ranging from vehicle identification numbers 8370 to 8388. A look-up on NHTSA.gov confirms the info.

Given these circumstances, Tesla is certain to have addressed some of the bottlenecks that hampered the Model 3 in the past. And as it’s the case with the S and X, the 3 with Dual-Motor integrates a permanent-magnet motor in the front axle that should mirror the output of the rear drive unit.

It remains to be seen if it’s the same design as the electric motor in the rear-wheel-drive Model 3, which develops 258 horsepower according to the EPA filing when matched with the extended-range battery. The Model 3 Performance, on the other hand, is certain to up the ante even further. The difference is likely to be made by the output of the rear electric motor.

Whatever kind of surprise the automaker has in mind for the Model 3 Dual-Motor and Model 3 Performance, you can bet your sweet bippy 2018 will be a better year for Tesla's new contender in the EV arena. Production was upped in December 2017 to more than 1,000 Model 3s per week. By the end of the first quarter of 2018, the production target is 2,500 units per week.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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