New Tesla Model 3 Car

Tesla Model 3 Is 'the Car Elon Musk Promised'

1st completed Model 3s unveiled Friday night

By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff

This undated image provided by Tesla Motors shows the Tesla Model 3 sedan.   (Courtesy of Tesla Motors via AP)

(NEWSER) – The new Tesla Model 3 has no speedometer or other gauges behind the steering wheel. In fact, it has "very few buttons or controls of any kind." The first 30 Model 3s were unveiled Friday night—handed out to Tesla employees—giving the world its first look at Elon Musk's vision for a mass-market car. Mashable has the details on the "sleek and minimalist" interior. All necessary information and controls for the driver are contained on a 15-inch digital display. The result is a dashboard that's "striking" for its emptiness. The Model 3's roof is nearly entirely glass—in order to make it feel roomier—and the three rear seats fold down for extra storage. Here's everything else you need to know about the Tesla Model 3:

• There is no key to unlock or start the Model 3, CNET reports. And unlike other cars with keyless technology, there isn't even a key fob. Instead, Model 3 owners will use their smartphones to unlock and start the car.
• "My first reaction was a profound sense of delight. It wasn’t bland, nor sterile, nor cheap feeling. Here was something different," states the Verge, which took a test drive of the Model 3, calling it "the car Elon Musk promised to make 14 years ago."
• Motor Trend has a far more in-depth test drive for readers who understand car talk. For example: "The ride is Alfa Giulia (maybe even Quadrifoglio)–firm, and quickly, I’m carving Stunt Road like a Sochi Olympics giant slalomer, micrometering my swipes at the apexes."
• Meanwhile, the Washington Post has the broad strokes of what we learned about the Model 3 on Friday: top speed of 130mph, range of between 220 and 310 miles depending on the battery, six colors available, an Enhanced Autopilot feature that can change lanes and park for you, and more.
• The Post also goes into pricing. While Tesla is touting the Model 3 as affordable, analysts say it's more of "an aspirational vehicle." The base price of $35,000 can balloon to up to $60,000 with premium options—well above the $36,000 the average US consumer spends on a new car.
• Finally, Musk himself is warning of "manufacturing hell" in the coming months as the Tesla factory attempts to ramp up to producing 10,000 Model 3s per week, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company says it has 500,000 reservations for the new model, and it has missed production goals in the past.