FLORIDA:- Electric car maker Tesla has rolled out its new Model 3 vehicle - the company’s cheapest car to date. The first 30 customers - most of them employees of the company - received their cars on Friday. Chief executive Elon Musk said the Model 3 was the “best car for its cost, either electric or gasoline”. Prices start at $35,000 (£26,650), which the firm hopes will bring mass market interest. The price is still higher than that of rival electric car the Nissan Leaf, which starts at $30,680, or the hybrid Chevrolet Volt, which goes for $34,095. Past Tesla models, the “S” and “X”, had a starting price of $80,000, putting them beyond the means of many.

The company aims to produce 5,000 units of the Model 3 a week in 2017, and 10,000 a week by 2018. Buyers ordering now are being told to expect delivery late next year.