Tesla
is
no
longer
selling
the
sub-$40,000
rear-wheel
drive
Standard
Range
version
of
the
Model
3
that
has
been
in
the
company’s
lineup
since
2023.
The
most
affordable
trim
is
now
the
Model
3
RWD
Long
Range
that
starts
at
$42,490.
The
change
was
first
pointed
out
by
Electrek
and
comes
as
Tesla
announces
a
year-over-year
increase
of
vehicle
deliveries
in
its
third
quarter
of
2024.
Tesla
has
slashed
—
and
raised
—
prices
numerous
times
over
the
past
few
years
as
it
struggles
to
retain
its
pole
position
in
the
market.
But
an
increasing
number
of
customers
have
strayed
to
other
vehicle
brands,
leaving
Elon
Musk’s
company
grappling
with
year-over-year
sales
decreases.
Tesla
also
occasionally
discontinues
certain
trims,
often
without
notice
or
fanfare.
Earlier
this
year,
the
company
stopped
offering
the
$60,990
RWD
Cybertruck,
the
cheapest
version
of
its
angular
EV
truck.
Remember
to
uncheck
the
estimated
incentives
box
to
see
the
real
prices.Screenshot:
The
Verge
The
Model
3
Standard
Range,
which
claimed
a
272-mile
range
on
a
full
charge,
used
cheaper
lithium
iron
phosphate
(LFP)
cells
that
were
produced
in
China.
Those
will
likely
become
more
expensive
to
import
due
to
the
Biden
administration’s
decision
to
raise
tariffs
on
Chinese
batteries,
semiconductors,
and
critical
minerals.
It’s
the
only
model
that,
before
incentives,
came
close
to
the
short-lived
and
long-promised
$35,000
Model
3.
Tesla’s
RWD
Long
Range
costs
$3,500
more
than
the
discontinued
Standard
Range.
It’s
not
a
huge
price
gap
considering
the
Long
Range
gets
an
estimated
363
miles
of
range
on
a
full
charge,
though
Tesla
has
been
accused
of
inflating
its
range
estimates.
Although
the
Model
3
Standard
Range
is
no
longer
available
for
order,
Tesla
is
still
working
on
a
cheaper,
yet-to-be-announced
vehicle
for
the
second
half
of
2025,
which
could
either
be
a
new
car
or
a
more
bare-bones
iteration
of
the
Model
3.
It
remains
to
be
seen
how
Tesla
could
further
simplify
the
vehicle
to
make
it
more
affordable
when
the
newer
models
already
lack
drive
and
turn
signal
stalks
—
especially
when
a
more
stripped-down
version
of
the
Model
3
in
Mexico
proved
to
be
more
expensive
than
US
spec
variants.
(Originally posted by Umar Shakir)
Comments