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Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel has revealed that the Model 3 platform will employ both new battery and engine technology so far not seen in Tesla's Model S and X platforums. In Straubel's words, Tesla will be "inventing a whole new platform" for the Model 3. It will also have "a new battery architecture, it's a new motor technology - brand new vehicle structure...so it's a lot of work. This is something we started on even a few years ago. But it is a brand new vehicle - and it has to be."
The reason for so much new innovation appears to be driven by the target price of $35,000, before incentives, for the Model 3 price. Such an aggressive goal requires virtually every system to be rethought compared to the pricier Model S and Model X. The Model 3 is meant to be a mass produced model with much higher volume production than its more pricey siblings and target such benchmark sedans as the BMW 3 Series.