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Elon Musk Impromptu Twitter Q&A Session Reveals Lots of Model 3 Details

All traditional manufacturers can only sit back and admire the success registered by Tesla's Model 3 launch. Just try and think of a conventional car that would flame so many people's spirits, and you will soon come to the conclusion that there are none.
Tesla Model 3 1 photo
Photo: Tesla Motors
By now, the total registrations count is probably over 300,000 (there were 276,000 at the end of Saturday), but Musk said he would give us one last update on Wednesday, for the full week, and that's going to be it. Care to guess how high the number will go by then? We think that the hype has simmered down over the weekend, but there might still be those less adventurous who were waiting for more information before making the plunge.

And more information is what they got. Taking to his favorite communication channel - we're talking about Twitter, of course - Elon Musk has proved he doesn't need a Communications VP to keep in touch with his clients and respond to their questions and suggestions. It's hard to count the total number of tweets he made, but they were a lot. For all Musk's weirdness, it's hard to think of another CEO that will spend most of his day answering people's questions. But that's probably his way of taking a break from work and relaxing.

Back to what this exchange of ideas revealed, we don't really know where to start. One of the main issues was the trunk opening, which does look limited. Elon Musk replied to an upset potential client who said that he rode "a bike not a surfboard" by saying that the "only way to get enough rear passenger headroom was to move the rear roof cross-car support beam. A bike will still fit no problem." Can't say we see how, but on the other hand, we don't know what kind of bicycle Mr. Musk rides.

The second major complaint was directed towards the front-end design. It's not that it's ugly, it's just... a bit too duckly. Musk intervened and assured everybody that there is "some tweaking underway." That means we shouldn't expect significant changes - after all, the designers do have to consider aerodynamics first. Speaking of which, asked about the aerodynamic coefficient, the Tesla CEO replied "hopefully 0.21."

The cars used for the presentation were all AWD, but the standard Model 3 will use a single motor and will be RWD, Musk confirmed: "Model 3 will be RWD, with dual motor AWD optional. Even RWD will have great traction on ice due to fast torque response of Tesla drivetrain." Another important aspect is that the switch from single to dual motor is going to be less expensive than for the Model S ($5,000).

Of course, the "vegan" aspect was also brought up, and Musk assured everybody that faux-leather will be an option. There was also a designer's sketch of the Model 3 thrown in at some point, so getting bored wasn't really an option. Now, with most of the questions answered, there's only one aspect that remains a mystery: the car's dashboard and what this layout actually means. That's what the announced "Part 2" of the Model 3 reveal (to be held closer to the production starting date) will probably focus on.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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