Tesla’s Model 3 event: Everything we know, plus how to watch live

Update 9:15 p.m. PT: Tesla finally unveiled the Model 3

The tedious wait for Tesla’s Model 3 continues.

Tonight Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set to unveil the company’s first mass-market car, the Model 3, at its design studio in Hawthorne, California. You can watch the event live on Tesla’s website starting at 8:30 p.m. PT (11:30 p.m. ET)  — or maybe later, Tesla isn’t always punctual.

Like an iPhone launch, excitement for the Model 3 among the Tesla faithful has just about boiled over today despite the car’s expected late 2017 release. Today fans lined up outside Tesla showrooms globally to put a $1,000 deposit down on a vehicle they’ve never seen. Surely GM and the like are envious of the hype (regardless of however many cars Tesla has shipped so far).

Musk warned yesterday that tonight’s event is part one of two. We may see the entire car. We may not. The evening will probably conclude with plenty of unanswered questions. And with that, here’s what we know so far.

The Model 3: What we know

Price: The car will start at $35,000. With tax credits it could cost $7,500 less in the U.S. — but probably not for you. Also, expect plenty of pricey optional upgrades.

Looks: We have no idea. Here’s a photo of it (maybe) under a sheet. It may be similar in size to an Audi A4. Or a BMW 3 Series. It apparently won’t look like other Tesla cars and may be 20 percent smaller than a Model S.

Battery: Everyone expects a range of 200 miles. Or 225 miles. Maybe beyond 300 miles with an upgrade.

Speed: It’s a Tesla. It’ll probably be pretty fast. Maybe zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds.

Autonomy: It won’t be fully autonomous. Or maybe it will. It may at least include new autonomous features.

Buying one: You can reserve a Model 3 online tonight. You could have physically waited in line to get one early. Existing Tesla owners get Model 3s first. So will Tesla and SpaceX employees.

Stay tuned for more.