- Tesla yesterday introduced new base trims of its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV
- They’re the least expensive Teslas, but they lack some features
Tesla yesterday launched new Standard trim levels of its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV, giving car shoppers a cheaper way to own a new Tesla.
The Model 3 Standard will start at $38,630, including mandatory destination and order fees. That’s $5,500 less than the next-least-expensive model.
The Model Y Standard starts at $41,630, including all fees — $5,000 lower than the next-cheapest option.
Both get to their lower starting prices by stripping out some features. The Standard versions have less power and range than we’re used to seeing from Tesla, and lose some interior tech and exterior details.
Cloth Seats, No Radio
- Changes include cloth upholstery, fewer speakers, and fewer screens
The new base models have cloth upholstery instead of the faux leather of other Tesla models. They carry seven speakers instead of 15, and lack rear-seat infotainment screens.
The Model Y Standard also looks different than other Model Y SUVs. It lacks a backlit connecting bar between the headlights, removing some of its resemblance to the Cybertruck.
Both use a single motor driving only the rear wheels.
The Model Y Standard achieves a range of 321 miles between charging sessions, down from 357 in the Premium edition. It loses some power, getting from zero to 60 in 6.8 seconds instead of 5.4 seconds — still a respectable figure that should make highway merging easy.
The Model 3 Standard also travels up to 321 miles between charging sessions, down from 363 in the Premium version. Its zero-to-60 time is 5.8 seconds, down from 4.9.
Substitute for a Long-Planned Model 2?
- Tesla had long planned a “Model 2” with a price tag around $25,000, but has canceled it
From its 2003 founding until last year, Tesla followed a steady business plan of first building more expensive luxury cars and introducing more affordable models as sales paid for research and development. That plan was long expected to culminate in a mass-market compact vehicle with a price tag around $25,000, colloquially called the Model 2.
Last year, CEO Elon Musk changed the plan. He cancelled the Model 2 and shifted most of the company’s resources into building humanoid robots and an army of driverless taxis, insisting autonomy was its future.
The company has few, if any, new cars in development. The Standard models may be the lowest-cost cars Tesla ever produces as it increasingly exits the car business.
Changing strategies may be the right move. An analysis of sales figures finds that Tesla’s sales peaked in February 2023 and have never returned to similar numbers.
