Anticipation electric for Tesla Model 3

Tesla Motors has previewed its Model 3 sedan, saying more than 130,000 people had ordered the car even though it is more than a year away from production.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk unveiled a prototype of the Model 3 in Hawthorne, California, to hundreds of Tesla owners and the media, saying the vehicle will go into production in 2017 at a starting price of $35,000 (€31,000).

The Model 3 will enter a crowded field of luxury and electric cars that includes petrol-fuelled models such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, and electric models such as the forthcoming Chevrolet Bolt EV from General Motors.