Tesla Motors receives $10bn in Model 3 pre-orders in just two days

Elon Musk's company took $276m in deposits for the 'affordable' $35,000 car, which is primed for a 2017 launch

Tesla Motors took almost $10bn (7bn) worth of pre-orders for its newest car, the Model 3, in just two days, according to the company's chief executive Elon Musk.

By the end of 2 April, 276,000 pre-orders had been placed for the car worldwide. Although the Model 3 is Tesla's first attempt at an "affordable" electric car, it will still cost at least $35,000 when it ships in mid-2017, meaning the company has secured $9.7bn worth of sales for a car still over a year away from rolling off the production line.