Orders for Tesla Model 3 reach 325,000

DETROIT -- Tesla Motors says worldwide orders for its new lower-priced Model 3 electric car have hit 325,000.

CEO Elon Musk says on Twitter Thursday that the number is still rising.

Customers must put down $1,000 to order the cars, which start at $35,000 and have a range of 215 miles per charge. The deposits are refundable.

The Palo Alto, California, company started taking orders March 31, shortly before Musk unveiled the car in Los Angeles. It's not scheduled to go on sale until late next year.

The number of orders is unprecedented when compared with electric car sales worldwide. Nissan says it has sold 211,000 electric Leafs since distribution began in late 2010. Tesla has sold a total of 110,000 electric cars since it started doing business in 2008.