Cheaper Tesla Model 3 Standard, Model Y Standard Launched in the U.S.
Elon Musk promised that more affordable Teslas were coming, and he's keeping his word... at least for the U.S. market.
On Tuesday, the company introduced a new entry-level version of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover called Standard. It costs $5,500 and $5,000 less, respectively, than the RWD Premium trim (formerly known as Long Range). Pricing could be revised down the road, however, as is standard practice at Tesla.
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What exactly is changing on the vehicles? In the case of the Model Y Standard, smaller 18- and 19-inch wheels replace the 19- and 20-inch units. The lighting signature up front looks more basic, too, with a simplified headlight design.
Inside, the 15.4-inch touchscreen remains, but the second-row touchscreen is gone. The front seats get fabric inserts and lose their ventilation function, a new centre console is found between them, and the steering wheel is manually adjustable. Curiously, the glass roof is now hidden and sealed by a headliner—a move that is said to be more cost-effective for Tesla than producing Model Ys with a conventional metal roof.
As for the powertrain, a single motor sends 300 horsepower to the rear wheels, and the battery loses about 10% of its usable capacity to 69.5 kWh. Tesla claims a range of up to 321 miles (517 km). One more thing: the maximum Supercharging power drops from 250 to 225 kW.
The Model 3 Standard, meanwhile, comes with 18-inch wheels, although 19-inch alloys are optional. Gray is the only no-cost body colour, while white and black require an extra charge. Inside, the seats are finished in cloth, the steering wheel is manually adjustable, and there's no rear touchscreen here, either.
The battery is downsized in the same way as the Model Y Standard’s, and for some mysterious reason the range is the same at 321 miles. Again, Supercharging power is limited to 225 kW instead of 250 kW.
For now, we don’t know for sure if and when these Standard models will land north of the border. Tesla Canada is still busy selling off Model 3 units in inventory, while the only Model Y currently available for ordering is the Long Range AWD model, which starts at $64,990 (MSRP).
