People camping outside Tesla Robson dealership days in advance for new Model 3

Joseph Preece has dreamed of owning an electric car since he was just 13 years old, and now he’s waiting in line to own one.

“With not needing to pay for gas and not needing to pay for oil changes and maintenance things that you have to do in all the moving parts of a [gas] car – it makes financial sense,” he tells Vancity Buzz.

[am2_see_also]

Preece is one of five people camped outside of the Robson Street Tesla dealership waiting to register to purchase the new Model 3. In-dealership registration opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, while online registration opens after the vehicle’s unveiling at 8:30 p.m. the same day.

Lauren Sundstrom / Vancity Buzz

Preece has been waiting in line for more than 24 hours, and while that might seem excessive to some people, he says he didn’t want to risk the perils of online registration.

“If, for some reason, 100,000 people sign up – which I believe isn’t an out-of-the-ballpark number – and I’m at the back of that, and they decide to produce 50,000 vehicles a year, then I’ll have to wait two years,” he says. “Instead I’m waiting three days to be at the front of the line and I will get one from the first B.C. shipment.”

The Model 3 will cost around $45,000 Canadian and pre-registering customers are obligated to put down at least $1,000. Vehicle production begins at the start of 2017 and Preece hopes his car will arrive at the end of that year.

Tesla fever isn’t only limited to Vancouver. Customers have also started lining up in Sydney, Australia, according to Mashable.

About 15 ppl sleeping outside Tesla store @ Robson&Homer 1st chance to preorder model 3 version electric car Thur AM pic.twitter.com/5SM9BNyPVF

— Stu Walters (@StuWaltersmedia) March 31, 2016

65 people in line at Tesla on Robson in #yvr pic.twitter.com/45zUwqrLa8 — Ian Hoar (@thatbigbody) March 31, 2016

By 9:20 a.m. Thursday morning, the lineup had gone around the block, past Hotel Vancouver.

Image: Tesla Vancouver