Over 200,000 people have pre-ordered an electric car they've never driven

The Tesla effect is a real; how else do you explain the Model 3 pre-order phenomena?

According to Elon Musk, the car maker accepted over 200,000 pre-orders for the upcoming Model 3 electric vehicle (EV). That's up from the 115,000 reservations claimed by Musk at the start of the unveil event last night.

And the numbers don't stop there.

Over twice the number of Model 3's were reserved as Nissan Leaf's sold between 2010 and 2015. It sounds insane that so many put down a $1000/£1000 /AU$1,500 deposit for a car that doesn't begin production until next year, but also extremely impressive. Whether or not Tesla can deliver the Model 3s in another question, but I have faith it can.

Delivery time

The Tesla factory, formerly known as New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), was able to crank out 6,000 Toyota Corolla, Matrix and Pontiac Vibes a week before it was shuttered. At peak capacity, using the output numbers from 2010, you're looking at a potential 312,000 cars a year. That is, if the Tesla Gigafactory can supply enough batteries.

I put down my deposit yesterday at 7:30 pm PDT and have no regrets after the unveil. The Tesla Model 3 looks like an amazing car for the money. With its expected 5-star crash ratings across the board, standard Autopilot, 215 miles of range, giant glass roof and dual motor configurations, it's everything I want in a family car.

When the time comes, I'll pick out a shiny red one with the biggest battery available, performance configuration and dual motor. Sadly, until then, it's going to be a long wait.

• Here's everything you need to know about the Tesla Model 3