Unicorn or Beast: Tesla Model 3 nearing 400,000 pre-orders

Is the Tesla Model 3 a unicorn or a beast? Maybe both. But we'll get to that in a minute. First some big news. As reported in Electrek*, "Tesla Vice-President of Business Development Diarmuid O’Connell was in Amsterdam yesterday for the AVERE E-mobility Conference... O’Connell now says that 'something approaching 400,000 people' have already reserved the vehicle." Regarding the Model 3, O’Connell remarked that: "It delivers a message to the industry that there’s incredible demand for great electric vehicles out there." 

Source: Tesla Motors

Electrek reports: "someone in the audience described the Model 3 unveiling as a 'huge success' and followed up by asking how Tesla plans to deliver on all those pre-orders. O’Connell responded: 'It’s a success as far as it is right now. The real success will be delivering a great product at the volumes [that] are possible and necessary.' He then quoted CEO Elon Musk on his plans to increase production... He said that Tesla learned a lot from the Model S and now the Model X production ramp up. They will use this knowledge to get to higher volumes quicker. O’Connell also said that Tesla plans to expand its lineup following the Model 3."

Above: Tesla VP of Business Development Diarmuid O’Connell (Source: Tuck/Dartmouth)

Wow. It's clear that Tesla has introduced a car that so many have fallen in love with -- in fact, an observer at the Huffington Post had predicted all this before the Model 3's launch event noting that: "Tesla’s Model 3 might find itself at the impossible intersection between semi-affordable and way hot.... With a sleek body that can go for miles - [215 miles] on a single charge - at a price that more buyers can afford, the Tesla Model 3 might put Tesla in the unicorn business." Check out their corresponding chart below... 

Source: Huffington Post

Yet, other Tesla observers believe that the Tesla Model 3 is a beast that's going to take down all competitors, literally. On Instagram, I tripped across this video vignette showing the Tesla "beast" taking down the competition...

Source: Tesla Motors UAE

Ummmm, that was a bit... extreme. But, with Tesla's Model 3 pre-orders approaching 400,000 and the Tesla Model S recently beating it's premium car competitors both in the US and Europe, it's obvious that traditional automakers should take cover.  

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*Source: Electrek