Pre-orders for the Tesla Model 3 have continued to skyrocket, climbing to 325,000 deposits in the week since the sedan was first unveiled.
The figure represents a 50 percent increase from the impressive first-day count of 215,000 units. Eager customers have now placed $325 million in reservation deposits.
Tesla suggests the pre-orders are worth approximately $14 billion in implied future sales, representing the “biggest one-week launch of any product ever.” The company’s estimate assumes an average sale price of around $43,000, though the bare-bones package will sell for $35,000.
“This interest has spread completely organically,” the company said in a statement. “Unlike other major product launches, we haven’t advertised or paid for any endorsements.”
Chief executive Elon Musk recently claimed Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory is theoretically capable of producing a half million vehicles annually. Current production rates for the Model S and Model X are much lower, running at a combined total of 2,000 weekly or 104,000 units annually.
Tesla does not expect to ship the Model 3 until late next year. If the company merely doubles factory output from current levels, existing pre-orders will not be fulfilled until the end of the decade.
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