Australia first in line for new Tesla Model 3

Australia will be the first country in the world to start making reservations for Tesla's upcoming Model 3 prior to the official online unveiling of the new model at 2:30pm on the auspicious date of April 1.

Australian reservations for Tesla's all-new mid-size sedan will begin a day earlier, during regular store hours on March 31 with live unveils at the following locations: Melbourne Service Centre and Store, Shop 4, 650 Church St, Cremorne from 8.00am; Chadstone Store, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Melbourne from 9.00am, Sydney Service Centre and Store, 10 Herbert Street, St Leonards from 8.00am and Carindale Display at Carindale Shopping Centre, Brisbane from 9:00am.

The cost of reservations for Tesla's direct rival for the BMW 3 Series with be $1500. Full details on the reservation process, plus customer information, are available by visiting the blog at www.teslamotors.com.

Production of the vital new electric sedan begins in late 2017, with deliveries starting in the US, then moving into Europe, Asia-Pacific and right-hand drive markets. Although local would-be Model 3 owners are best advised not to hold their breath, Australia might squeeze in for an introduction in late 2018 or early 2019.

The new small Tesla will sit on a new platform, using the same lithium-ion battery technology as the larger Model S sedan and Model X crossover, and is expected to be offered in 2WD and AWD format. Word is that performance of the Model 3 will be deliberately contained so it's not faster than its bigger brethren – although zero to 100km/h acceleration is expected to be in the supercar class at around four seconds.

Pricing won’t be available until the official launch, but the Model 3 is expected to cost around half as much as the entry-level Model S ($122,208), making it comparable to German mid-size sedans like the 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4.

Interestingly, Tesla makes the point that, because of a priority program, the best way to get hold of a Model 3 early is to already be a Tesla Model S or Model X owner.

Against the backdrop of a more affordable Tesla, the Australian roll-out of Tesla Supercharger stations continued today with the official opening of its latest facility at the Cassegrain Winery at 764 Fernbank Creek Rd, Port Macquarie NSW.

The new facility is able to accommodate six cars at a time and completes the link enabling Tesla drivers to travel from Sydney to Brisbane. Customers can prepare for as much as 270km of driving after 30 minutes at the Supercharger station.