Cheaper Tesla Model 3 launched

Tesla has launched its “affordable” Model 3 with a base price of US$35,000.

Several new versions of the Model 3 will be available with shorter range and new interior options.

While Tesla has been gradually releasing cheaper versions of the Model 3 over the last year, it wasn’t able to reduce the mass market price to that promised, Electrek reports.

Tesla has emailed its retail stores details of the announcement of the new options available to order in the US and which could be ready in March.

Customers can order the US$35,000 Model 3 with a standard interior and standard battery pack enabling 209km/h top speed and 5.6 seconds 0-96km/h acceleration.

Tesla is also making a new “Partial Premium Interior” with better seats than the standard interior available with a different “standard range plus” battery pack for a US$2000 premium.

The Model 3 Standard Range Plus results in 386km range, 225km/h top speed and 0-96km/h acceleration in 5.3 seconds

Tesla expects deliveries to start within the next fortnight or month.

Customers with a reservation and waiting for the base version will still have priority in the delivery process if they plan an order now.

The base Model 3 will be available to order in Europe within the next three to six months, according to Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk.

The “full” premium interior, which includes leather and power seats, is not available with the new standard battery pack option.

The standard Interior Includes manual seat and steering adjustment, cloth seat and base trim, basic audio, standard maps and navigation, centre console with storage and four USB ports.

The Partial Premium Interior Includes 12-way power adjustable heated front seats, premium seat material and trim, upgraded audio, standard maps and navigation, LED fog lamps, centre console with storage, four USB ports docking for two smartphones.

The Premium Interior includes 12-way power adjustable front and rear heated seats, premium audio (14 speakers, a subwoofer, two amps, and immersive sound), satellite-view maps with live traffic visualisation and navigation, in-car internet streaming music and media, internet browser, location-aware automatic garage door opener, LED fog lamps, centre console with storage, four USB ports and docking for two smartphones.

The All Interior includes a tinted glass roof with ultraviolet and infrared protection, auto dimming, power folding, heated side mirrors; music and media over Bluetooth and custom driver profiles.

Musk says prices are not only enabled by the new options but through a change in its sales strategy to online-only, probably closing some of its retail stores.

Along with these changes, Tesla is going to release firmware updates to enable a 523km range in the long-range rear-wheel drive Model 3 – the first version of the car.

Other firmware updates are also expected to increase the top speed of Model 3 Performance to 260km/h and add an average of about 5% peak power to all Model 3 vehicles.

Tesla is also updating Autopilot options and pricing.