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An emotional Elon Musk thanks the people who are still waiting to get their Model 3

An emotional Elon Musk thanks the people who are still waiting to get their Model 3

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Tesla’s handover ceremony of the Model 3 tonight was an affecting moment for CEO Elon Musk, whose casual authenticity has emerged as a distinct tech keynote style. The Model 3 is the first mass market electric car Tesla has made so far and 30 were delivered to employees tonight.

Musk quavered a bit when he spoke of the 300,000 people who have put down deposits for the Model 3. “That really matters to us. We really care. We’re going to do everything we possibly can to get you that car as soon as possible,” he said. “We’re going to do right.”

Although Musk joked earlier in his speech about getting rude Twitter mentions demanding a Model 3, he took a more serious tone when discussing the Model 3’s continued production delays and how people had lined up on streets for days, hoping to be first on the Model 3 reservation list.

Musk anticipates that the next six months for Tesla will be “production hell” as his employees push out the Model 3 with parts sourced internationally. The standard version is slated for delivery in late 2018 for $35,000, with a more premium version going for $44,000.