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Tesla Fans Get Psyched, Model 3 Ordering Opens Early Online

Tesla will open online ordering for its new Model 3 electric car ahead of schedule amid signs of heavy demand, CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday.
Image: Car buyers wait in line at the Tesla dealer
Car buyers wait in line at the Tesla dealer before the announcement of the new Model 3 in Buena Park, Calif. on March 31, 2016. The people in line were waiting to pre-order the vehicle which will take two years for production and delivery.EUGENE GARCIA / EPA
/ Source: CNBC.com
By Ben Berkowitz, CNBC

Tesla will open online ordering for its new Model 3 electric car ahead of schedule amid signs of heavy demand, CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday.

Read More from CNBC: Tesla Takes Risks With Newest Electric Car, the Model 3

The original plan had been for online orders to open at 11:30 p.m. ET, as Musk began the presentation to unveil the new car.

But in recent days, people have camped out at Tesla stores worldwide in an effort to be first in the deposit queue.

The refundable $1,000 deposit will give people a place in line ahead of the $35,000 sedan's expected late-2017 launch.

Ben Berkowitz, CNBC

Ben Berkowitz is deputy managing editor at CNBC.com, where he oversees breaking news for CNBC's digital properties. Berkowitz came from Reuters, where he held a variety of reporting and editing roles in the United States and Europe.