This is it: after years of hype, Tesla Motors is scheduled to pull the covers off of its Model 3 electric car at the company's facility in Hawthorne, California this evening at 8:30PM Pacific Time. Unlike the Model S sedan, the new Model X crossover, and the seminal Roadster, the Model 3 is supposed to have mass-market pricing — a base price around $35,000, before tax credits — making it potentially attainable by everyday commuters who are ready to go electric.

The Model 3 name and project were announced in mid-2014 (after Ford blocked "Model E" on trademark grounds, ending Musk's dream of spelling "SEX" with his product lineup). The concept of the Model 3, though, dates back a decade, when Musk first laid out the plan for arriving at an affordable EV by first building a niche sports car and a pricier sedan. With the Roadster and the S taken care of, the time for the affordable model has come.