Tesla leader Elon Musk unveils model 3 of $ 35,000 (which costs a bit more)

Tesla chief Elon Musk said Thursday night that the automaker is preparing to sell the cheapest version of its latest electric car, the Model 3, marking an attempt to resume business after months of controversy.

Musk said on Twitter that the sedan, with its "midrange" battery pack, would cost $ 35,000, in line with the mass market model that he had promised for years to revolutionize the availability of electric cars.

But this price takes into account federal and state tax cuts. Prior to the rebates, the sale price would be $ 45,000, although the company says buyers should think the car is much cheaper because of the savings they will make on gasoline.

Musk sparked a frenzy of customer reservations in 2016 when he said Model 3 would cost $ 35,000 before incentives, such as a $ 7,500 federal tax credit, a price that would help Tesla to grow beyond its range of well-heeled buyers. This model however remains delayed until 2019, announced the company Thursday.

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The surprise announcement, sent via tweet to the 23 million followers of Musk, comes as Tesla seeks to deflect the attention of a chaotic period during which Musk's been beaten against criticism, smoked marijuana during an interview and pledged to have the money to protect Tesla privately. promise for which he was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This case has been settled recently.

Under the settlement, Musk has agreed to resign as president of the company for a period of three years, opening a significant gap that the company has not yet filled. This announcement once again highlights Musk's long-standing role as CEO, designer and drummer of the company.

Musk announced Thursday that the car would be sold via Tesla's "super simple order page," which estimated that delivery for the mid-range model would take six to ten weeks. This model, the company said, could travel 260 miles on a single charge.

The only model 3 available in the past year is a long-range version, offered mainly at luxury prices. But Musk said that a "more real cost of ownership" for the mid-range version would be about $ 31,000, according to his estimate for a reduction in the cost of gasoline.

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The decision could increase pressure on Tesla's California plant and its national system designed to deliver cars to customers, which Musk described last month as bogged down in "the hell of delivery logistics."

"While Model 3 production and sales continue to grow rapidly, we have achieved a stable volume of production capacity, which has allowed us to diversify our product offering for even more customers," said a representative of You're here.

This decision could frustrate Tesla fans who filed a $ 1,000 deposit two years ago for an elegant electric sedan costing about $ 27,500 after tax incentives.