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Elon Musk has revealed the Tesla Model 3 to the public for the first time. Unveiled at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, California in front of a crowd of whooping and cheering customers and journalists, the Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla yet and hopes to bring electric cars to the mass market.

At the unveiling of the Model 3 this evening at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the car will deliver at least 215 miles of range beginning at just $35,000 — that's a bold claim, and an important one for Tesla to meet. Musk is "fairly confident" that deliveries will begin by the end of 2017, and "you will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, even with no options."

"0-60MPH in less than 6 seconds"

The base car will do 0-60MPH in less than 6 seconds, with versions that go "much faster." Range will be at least 215 miles, but Tesla hopes to exceed those numbers in the final car. All Model 3 cars will include support for Tesla's high-speed Supercharging network. "It's about going where you want to go," says Musk. By the end of 2017, when the Model 3 launches, Tesla says it will have a total of 7,200 Superchargers, double the number available today.

Like the Model S, the Model 3 will come in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, and there's a 15-inch landscape touchscreen inside — an interesting change from the 17-inch portrait touchscreen in the Model S and X. Autopilot hardware is standard, and all safety features will be active automatically. Five adults will fit comfortably — "comfortably is the important part here," says Musk.