Tesla Offers Up Another Reason Not to Order Its Cheapest Car
Tesla’s Model 3 line as evolved once again, this time adding a new model closer to the bottom of the range while eliminating the second-cheapest configuration (and currently the cheapest Model 3 you can actually get delivered).
Announced Thursday night, the rear-drive Model 3 Long Range — which started at $44,000 but required the addition of a $5,000 premium package — is gone from the lineup, replaced by a Mid Range sedan with two driven wheels and a lower-capacity battery. The price for 50 fewer miles of range? $45,000.
Hmmm… it seems someone in Palo Alto was busy with their calculator.
While CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the Model 3 Long Range RWD will still be available for about a week, going forward buyers will only be able to select a dual-motor Long Range variant ($54,000 to start) if they desire 310 miles of driving range. That model’s Performance sibling is also available, stickering at $64,000 before a federal tax credit that’ll be cut in half at the beginning of next year.
The low-end replacement model boasts 260 miles of range and a lowered top speed of 125 miles per hour. 0-60 comes along in a pokier 5.6 seconds. Essentially, the Mid Range model is just the defunct Long Range RWD model, just with fewer cells in its identically-sized battery pack. Adding Autopilot features will cost another $5,000.
For those keeping track, this new model stickers for $10,000 more than the much-touted, still unavailable base model, which is expected to cost $35,000 and offer a range of about 215 miles. In a tweet, Musk said removing cells from the Long Range model’s battery to create a Mid Range option was quicker than designing a whole new battery. Whether you consider this a deal likely depends on your level of reverence for Musk.
If you’ve ordered a base model, well, expect to continue waiting. Tesla claims the Standard model won’t reach customers for another four to six months.
[Image: Tesla]
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The fact that the Model 3 has an INSANELY LONG charging time, as well as the fact that there is no "Long range" version of the Model 3 (dishonest marketing designation notwithstanding), should have been reasons good enough not to order the car in any version. Not to mention the strong likelihood that Tesla will be bankrupt soon.
The Model 3 is available in 5 colors. Black is available at no additional charge. Two are available for a $1500 upcharge. Two more at a $2000 upcharge. The shenanigans from a pricing standpoint are really getting old. And before the fanboys get all "well, everybody does it" -- no, I haven't seen another automaker offer a product with one color as standard with everything else offered as an option. Tesla better get a hard nosed manufacturing executive as Chairman in there. Otherwise, they're going to blow it. They've got incredible cache -- but everyone has their limits.