The Long-Awaited $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Is Already Dead

Tesla has removed the Model 3 Standard from its website and increased the price of the Standard Plus while adding Autopilot

Matt Robinson

12 Apr 2019

The Long-Awaited $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Is Already Dead

It’s only just been a month since the $35,000 entry-point to the Model 3 at last went on sale, but already, it’s effectively been culled from the range.

The Model 3 ‘Standard’ has been removed from Tesla’s website, and although you will be able to call the company to order it or get one from a Tesla store, it won’t quite be the same car as before. It’ll be a “software-limited version of the Standard Plus,” a move aimed at streamlining the range to reduce production costs. Tesla says the Plus has outsold the Standard six to one.

Compared to the Plus, it’ll lose about 10 per cent of its range, and have various features like music streaming, heated seats and live traffic visualisation locked out. If you become irked by this, it will be possible to upgrade to the full Plus experience, and conversely, Plus customers can also downgrade their cars and be refunded the difference.

The Plus is also a little more expensive than before, as the $3000 Autopilot driver assistance system is now fitted as standard. The price is now $39,500, an increase of $2000, effectively saving anyone who wanted the Autopilot system $1000.

In other Tesla news, US customers can now lease Model 3s, with annual mileage limits of 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000 available. You won’t be able to buy the car at the end of that, though, as “we plan to use those vehicles in the [yet-to-be-established] Tesla ride-hailing network,” the company says.

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Damn bro

You gotta think about it. They can afford to sell you the full-spec cars for the lower price. While you can’t use the locked-out features, they already sold them to you and unlocking them costs them no money, but they charge you money. Do you realize the scam and upmarketing?

Its Elon Musk, what did you expect

Not disagreeing with you, but dont ordinary car makers do basically the same? Selling the same car with basically the same engine only with a lesser tune

I’m sorry what? So the car has heated seats, but software prevents you from using them? D*ckheads.

This general idea was implemented by a lot of car manufacturers though. Making one wiring harness even though you might not use some cables for features or even going as far as just not providing the switch or relais to turn it on. But this is a whole nother step with even more expensive features already built in.