Tesla founder Elon Musk unveiled his company's latest electric car on Thursday evening at a presentation in Hawthorne, California. At a starting price of $35,000, the much-anticipated Model 3 is Tesla Motors' first affordably-priced model, and Musk said he is "fairly confident" that deliveries to customers will begin next year.

One of the big questions on the minds of would-be owners is performance, since other Teslas are known for having robust power and range despite their electric motors. Musk said the base version of the Model 3 would go from zero to 60 miles an hour in less than 6 seconds, and drive for at least 215 miles on a single charge.

"At Tesla, we don't make slow cars," Musk said, "and of course there will be versions of the Model 3 that will go much faster."

In addition to speed and range, the Model 3 will offer a safe and comfortable ride. The instrument panel has been compressed to allow the front seats to move forward, offering more legroom for both front- and rear-seat passengers. That means it should fit five adults comfortably, Musk said.

Storage capacity is also ample. Musk said that it can carry more cargo than any gasoline car with similar dimensions currently on the market. The Model 3 will also boast a 5-star crash rating in every category.

As for the car's high-tech features, Musk remained fairly vague, though he did say that the Model 3 would include "autopilot" features.

"It's a really good car, even with no options," he said.

Charging for the Model 3 will be similar to the process for current Tesla models, which accept both standard "destination" charging and "supercharging." That means you'll be able to partially charge the Model 3's batteries in a matter of minutes at supercharging stations on the road, and then fully charge the car once you reach your destination.

Musk said that there are currently more than 3,600 supercharging locations worldwide, and about the same number of destination chargers. The company plans to double the number of superchargers and quadruple the number of destination chargers by the end of next year, he said. The Model 3 can accept voltage and amperage levels from any country, so you won't be out of luck if you drive across national borders. 

Where and when can you buy a Model 3? All of the 215 currently-operating sales and service locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia will sell them, and that number is set to double by the end of next year. As for when, all we have to go on is Musk's fair amount of confidence that the Model 3 will hit the road by the end of 2017.