Tesla Model 3 release date, news: Analyst predicts upcoming vehicle will be delayed, won't arrive until late 2018

A promotional image for the Tesla Model 3.Tesla

The Tesla Model 3 is one of the most-anticipated vehicles of 2017 as the sustainable vehicle is Tesla's most affordable car to date. Reservations for the vehicle is currently ongoing, and the company claims that production will start sometime next year, with the Tesla 3 slated to make its way to homes all across the country shortly after. However, it was recently claimed that Tesla may fall short with regard to its delivery timeline as an analyst predicted that the Model 3 might be delayed by over a year.

According to Electrek, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones, who was once described by the New York Times as a "Tesla Cheerleader," is predicting a delay in the company's timetable. In a research note sent to clients and obtained by the website, Jones said that the initial batch of Model 3 deliveries may be significantly delayed.

"We continue to forecast a Model 3 launch at the very end of 2018 (more than 1 year later than company target) with 60k units in 2019 and 130k units in 2020," Jones said in the note.

The website reports that not only is Jones forecasting that the vehicle will be late, but the Morgan Stanley analyst is also predicting volumes to be significantly lower than what Tesla estimated. CEO Elon Musk has reportedly talked about as many as 400,000 Model 3 units being produced in 2018, compared to Jones' 60,000 three years from now.

However, the analyst did remain positive about the upcoming vehicle, with Jones appearing to be very enthusiastic about the Model 3's Autopilot feature. This feature has gained praise from tech watchers, but it won't be free as Model 3 owners will have to pay extra to unlock the Autopilot feature. Those who would like to see a video of the car's self-driving feature can check out the Tesla website, where two self-driving demos can be seen.

Stay tuned for more news about the Tesla Model 3.