‘Regular RWD Disappears, Just Like With the Y’
Fresh from the rumor mill: in December, the Tesla Model 3 Standard will appear, which will then take over the title of ‘cheapest Tesla’ from the also very fresh Model Y Standard.
This news is not yet official, but it comes from a source that we would dare to call ‘reliable’. Moreover, the arrival of the cheap Tesla Model 3 Standard is far from illogical. After all, Tesla already has a Model Y Standard in its range and previously presented the Model 3 Standard in the United States. Coming to Europe seemed a matter of time, and if the car does indeed arrive in December, we won’t even need that much patience.
The Tesla Model 3 Standard is certainly comparable in terms of recipe to the Model Y Standard, but not identical to that car. Both ‘Standards’ are cheaper than their regular siblings due to various interventions and the omission of some functions and luxury, but with the Model 3, the ‘stripping’ is considerably less extensive than with the Y. In North America, for example, the Model 3 Standard simply has the headlights and taillights of the ‘normal’ Model 3. We also find a full-fledged center console in the interior, the American 3 Standard still has a glass panoramic roof, and the wheel size is the same with 18-in. However, given the different wheel covers, we expect steel wheels (just like with the Y). Furthermore, the seat buttons will also be removed here, and the Model 3 Standard will undoubtedly do without ambient lighting, without electric steering wheel adjustment, without seat heating in the rear, without a second touchscreen, and without fully leatherette-covered seats.
Partly fabric seat upholstery in the Model 3 Standard
Also in technical terms, the Standard differs significantly from the car that will be referred to as ‘Premium’ from its arrival. For example, it has simpler shock absorbers, the smallest possible battery, and a less powerful electric motor. The precise performance will undoubtedly differ somewhat from the American specifications, but feel free to expect a driving range of around 550 kilometers and a 0-100 time of no more than six seconds.
The Cheapest Tesla
The big question is, of course, what this car will cost, but we will hear that in December if these rumors are correct. At the moment, the cheapest Model 3 is €41,990, because Tesla recently decided to increase the price of this current base model by €2,000. With the Model Y, the regular rwd entry-level model disappeared with the arrival of the Standard, and everything indicates that this will also be the case with the Model 3. Above the base model, you will then immediately end up in the Long Range RWD, which at the time of writing costs €45,990. A Tesla Model Y Standard costs €39,990. That is exactly what the Model Y Standard costs in dollars in the US, and if we apply that ‘calculation method’ to the Model 3 Standard, that car should cost €36,990 here. We will know next month. At least, probably.