Tesla may wait until July before revealing the final version of the Model 3
AP Photo/Justin PritchardTesla Motors unveils the new lower-priced Model 3 sedan at the Tesla Motors design studio in Hawthorne, Calif., Thursday, March 31, 2016.Tesla fans are going to have a little longer to see what the production version of the Model 3 looks like.
CEO Elon Musk said during an earnings call Wednesday that the company may wait until the second half of this year before making its big reveal.
"I'm not sure if it's going to make sense for us to show the final version before we start production or after," Musk said. "I think, in terms of showing the final version, it's probably a few months away, maybe as far as July itself."
The automaker plans to begin production of the Model 3 in July, but deliveries are not expected until late 2017. Tesla has received more than 373,000 pre-orders for the $35,000 mass market sedan since March of last year.
Tesla first unveiled its concept version of the Model 3 in March 2016 and it was speculated the company would reveal the final version of the car around the same time this year.
During a shareholder's meeting in November, Musk said there would be "part 3" unveiling for the Model 3 in "three to four months," which falls in line with the March timeframe. However, given Musk's recent comments, it's likely the company will just reveal new details about the vehicle instead of showing off the entire car for its "part 3" event.
For example, the company may finally share more information about the Model 3's interior since it didn't share many details about it during the unveiling last year.
Whatever the case, Musk said during the earnings call that the final version of the vehicle will have a strong resemblance to the Model 3 concept it showcased last March. But Musk also hinted that there could be a few surprises.
"It's going to be pretty close to what I showed at the Model 3 unveiling, with some polish and refinements and a few more details that are added," Musk said. "It will be better than what was unveiled, I guess in some ways it will be a lot better."