Photos that surfaced on Reddit of a white Tesla Model 3 indicate that it’s the 316th Model 3 to come from the factory, according to the VIN number ending in “000316”.
With 316 Model 3 release candidate cars already produced, it would validate CEO Elon Musk’s recent reveal that production is going smoothly and “ahead of schedule”, as Tesla has had a significant amount of iterations leading up to the first production car.
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Musk’s initial tweets about the exponential Model 3 production ramp were received by many as an indication that 100 vehicles would be available by August, 1,500 by September and 20,000 cars would be produced per month by December.
Handover party for first 30 customer Model 3's on the 28th! Production grows exponentially, so Aug should be 100 cars and Sept above 1500.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2017
However, with the surfacing of the 316th Model 3 RC produced, could Musk’s projection of 100 produced vehicles in August mean the electric car maker is poised to exceed what was presumed to be 100 production cars per month?
The photos, which began with a high resolution close up of a matte grey wheel rim, stirred discussion as Redditors debated new features like an automatic charging flap.
“I can say the charging flap is automatic,” wrote WattLOL8, who posted the photos. “It flips upward as the button is pressed on the supercharging cable.”
Others speculated about the wheel design, saying the gray finish could be a wheel cover that can be easily replaced if they end up being scratched.
As production continues, excitement has stirred over the July 28th Model 3 delivery event in Fremont, California. The highly anticipated event will feature a hand off of the Model 3 to the first 30 owners as well as a presentation from Musk on Tesla’s grand vision for a sustainable future.
Teslarati will provide extensive behind the scenes coverage of the delivery event. Follow us @Teslarati on Twitter for live updates.
