Affordable Tesla Model 3, Online Sales Highlight Tesla News This Week

We finally figured out what Elon Musk meant when he said “some Tesla news” was coming on Thursday.

It was a new, more affordable Tesla Model 3 which highlights Tesla’s week in the news. The automaker also announced it was shifting its sales model from physical stores to online sales.

Base Tesla Model 3 to Start at $35,000 in the U.S.

The base and affordable Tesla Model 3 is finally here. After months of Model 3 Performance Models costing over $50,000, the entry-level Tesla Model 3 is here with a starting price of $35,000 in the U.S. and $47,600 in Canada.

That’s $30,000 less than the range-topping, dual-motor, all-wheel Model 3 Performance. Better yet, Tesla says the base Model 3 will start delivery in a few weeks. Tesla’s website says a model ordered today would arrive in 2 to 4 weeks.

What will a base Tesla Model 3 give you? For starters you will get 220 miles of range which translates into 354 kilometers. Called the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range, the most affordable Tesla Model 3 gets to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

An extra $2,700 gets you the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus with 386 kilometers of range and a slightly faster 0-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds. Mid-Range and Long-Range versions with 425 kilometers and 523 kilometers of range are both available as well.

The Tesla Model 3 was always supposed to be the affordable Tesla. With the new Standard Range version, it finally is.

Tesla Moving to Online Sales

More significant even than the new of the new base Tesla Model 3 is the announcement that Tesla will be moving to online sales. Having already shun away from the traditional model of selling cars through franchised dealerships, Tesla is taking the next logical step by going online.

The idea is to close some Tesla stores and turn others into product displays only. You won’t be able to buy from these stores, simply learn about the models and versions. Prospective buyers would then go online to purchase their new Tesla.

Tesla is moving closer and closer to its end goal of selling electric cars to everyone differently. The new base Tesla Model 3 is what that car was always supposed to be, and the brand as a whole is taking the next logical retail step forward.

Typical Tesla buyers won’t have any trouble ordering online. They will love it actually.