# Tesla Model 3 reveal and reservations

> Tesla said its reservation rush passed 325,000 deposits in the first week.

- Owner: Tesla
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Auto & mobility
- Seed date: 2016-03-31
- Milestone date: 2016-04-07
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 39 (Niche), v1.3
- Mechanics: Real-world spectacle, Mystery & lore, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy

## Summary

Queue photos spread before Tesla’s public unveiling. Musk and press circulated reservation updates; Tesla reported more than 325,000 in a week. April 7 anchors that milestone; production delays followed.

## Timeline

- 2016-02-10 — Tesla (Press) — Tesla announced a March 31 unveiling and planned production and deliveries for late 2017.
- 2016-03-21 — Tesla (Open web) — Tesla published deposit amounts and gave existing owners priority within regional reservation queues.
- 2016-03-29 — Trevor Long / EFTM (Open web) — EFTM published a photo and interview with Andreas Stephens, who queued in Sydney before reservations opened.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/tesla-model-3-reveal

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Tesla Model 3 reveal and reservations.” Case HIS-01479. Spread Score v1.3: 39/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01479