Australia will be the first country in the world to being taking orders for the highly anticipated new Tesla Model 3 at its Australian stores.

The Model 3 is to be the “small car” of the Tesla range, sitting alongside the Model S large sedan and Model X mid-sized SUV.

While there is absolutely nothing known about the car yet, other than speculation and rumour, Australian prospective buyers will be the first in the world able to put down a holding deposit to secure their place in the Australian queue for a Tesla Model 3.

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I say the Australian queue because while production for the Model 3 commences in late 2017 (yes, more than 18 months away), deliveries will start on the West Coast of the USA, moving east before then shipping internationally including Australia.

Tesla say this ensures the right customer experience, but also takes into account the regulatory requirements and timeframe for each country.

If you’re keen, $1500 will secure your place, with the Melbourne Store, Chadstone Store, Sydney Store and Carindale Display in Brisbane opening on March 31 to take your order.

Online orders will commence after the official unveil of the vehicle at 2.30pm on April the 1st here in Australia.

Oh, and if you don’t own a Model S already you should know that those folk will also get priority in the queue – so don’t be upset about that.