New Tesla Model 3 Standard arrives as popular EV gets massive price drop
Tesla takes the Model 3 back to the bare essentials with new Standard variant
Having just unveiled a new, cheaper Standard edition of the Model Y, Tesla has also brought out a Model 3 Standard in the US - in effect paring back the standard equipment to lower the car’s list price.
The Standard expands the Model 3 line-up to four editions in the US - matching the size of the UK range. Tesla hasn’t yet said if the Standard version of either the Model 3 or Model Y will be sold here, but we already have the Rear-Wheel Drive edition as the entry-level point, so it seems more likely that Tesla will update or replace that car, rather than introduce a new version.
The Model 3 Standard starts at $36,990 (roughly £27,000), making it $5,500 less than the Model 3 Premium. If you’re after a cut-price Tesla, then check out the used Model 3 offerings on the Auto Express Buy A Car service, where you can pick one up for under £13,000.
Tesla says the Model 3 Standard will do 321 miles on a single charge (under the American EPA regulations), which puts it almost on a par with the cheapest Model 3 you can buy in the UK. Tesla doesn’t quote battery sizes, but we suspect the Standard model gets the same ‘upgraded battery pack’ that was recently launched on the Rear-Wheel Drive model.
The Standard’s performance is identical to that Rear-Wheel Drive version, with a 5.8-second 0-60mph time and a 125mph top speed - suggesting the newcomer also has the same rear-mounted 242bhp electric motor.
Where the Model 3 Standard differs is its standard equipment. Compared with the Premium car offered in the States, it has part-cloth seats rather than a faux-leather interior, shrinks the centre console to provide an open storage area, and replaces the car’s physical key with smartphone access. The Standard gets a new set of 18-inch aero-optimised wheels, too.
To cut its cost, the newcomer also does without a subwoofer (although the seven-speaker sound system is retained), plus there’s no FM or AM radio tuner, no rear touchscreen, and no ambient lighting, while it has manual adjustment for the steering wheel and side mirrors. The Model 3 Standard also doesn’t have Tesla’s ‘Autosteer’ driver-assistance technology or the Model 3’s active dampers.
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