CNN last week declared that 2018 will be “the year of the electric car.” This proclamation happens nearly every year—despite the fact that electric cars remain about 1 percent of the new-car market. CNN rightly states, “Americans (in 2018) will finally be able to buy reasonably affordable and widely available electric cars that can hold enough power to breeze through their daily routines with no worries.” Perhaps the news organization is pointing to the new breed of longer-range EVs. But other signs indicate that we are more likely to see steady growth rather than a quantum leap in EV adoption.

The much-anticipated Tesla Model 3 will start rolling off the production line this week, about two weeks earlier than planned. That marks an important milestone for the company—and for the electric vehicle industry—as Tesla gets closer to its goal of becoming a producer of mass-market electric cars.

Tesla announced this week that it plans to double its charging network by the end of 2017. It will add new locations in city centers while expanding existing highway sites so drivers don’t have to wait for access to a charger. The company said that it’s taking these steps to prepare for sales of the Model 3, its first mass-market car.

Tesla is now shipping 100D versions of its Model S and Model X vehicles. These vehicles with 100 kilowatt-hour battery packs are similar to the previous Performance versions, but with a slight reduction of power. The 100D (sans P) models now lead all electric vehicles for range. The EPA, as of today, lists the Tesla Model S 100D as providing 335 miles of driving range on a single charge. (The Model X 100D is rated to go 295 miles on a charge.)