Tesla to begin Model 3 deliveries in Europe

San Francisco, Jan 22 (IANS) Electric vehicle maker Tesla has received the go-ahead to begin its Model 3 deliveries in Europe, less than a week after it announced laying off 7 per cent of its full-time employees to reduce costs and increase profits."The vehicle recently received approval by regulators to be driven on European roads. The Long-Range Battery version of the vehicle will be the first to be sold in Europe, it's expected to go on sale next month (February)," the Fortune reported late on Monday.The carmaker announced the Model 3 or its mass-market offering with a new Mid-Range battery pack for $35,000, which is expected to go about 200 miles. The Long-Range Battery version of the car is priced a bit higher at $49,000 and can go 310 miles on a single charge.The timing could not be better because thousands of Model 3 vehicles are currently on a ship to Europe, according to the Electrek.Tesla received almost 14,000 Model 3 orders in Europe as of early January. That is only from reservation holders and the number is expected to grow since Tesla has now opened Model 3 orders to the public in Europe and China, the Electrek report added.With the launch of the new battery pack option, Tesla is making several changes to the Model 3's option structure.The main change is that the rear-wheel-drive option is now only available with the new Mid-Range pack and the Long-Range pack only comes with a dual motor all-wheel-drive powertrain.
--IANS ksc/mag/mr