hands over first model 3 electric cars Tesla's Musk to early buyers

The over half a million reservations are up from about 373,000 disclosed in April 2016. Customers pay $1,000 refundable deposits for the car, which is eligible for tax credits. Any new buyers would likely not receive their car until the end of 2018, Musk said.

A longer-range version of the car is priced at $44,000 and will drive 310 miles (500 km) on a single charge. The cars feature a streamlined dashboard devoid of buttons or knobs, with a 15-inch touchstream display to the right of the driver.

Tesla introduces one of the first Model 3 cars off the Fremont factory's production line during an event at the company's facilities in Fremont, California, US, Jul 28, 2017. Reuters
Outside Tesla's Fremont, California factory, Musk showed off the $35,000 base vehicle with a range of 220 miles (350 km) on a charge that marks a departure from the company's earlier luxury electric cars.

Hours before the event, Musk acknowledged it would be "quite a challenge" to build the car during the early days of production.

"We're going to go through at least six months of manufacturing hell," Musk told journalists.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Friday the Model 3 had over half a million advance reservations as he handed over the first 30 to employee buyers, setting the stage for the biggest test yet of the company's strategy to become a profitable, mass market electric car maker.