The new budget model of Tesla turned out to be the Model 3 Standard with a price starting at $38,630

Tesla abandoned the idea of a new budget electric car and instead released a simplified version of the Model 3, which is $5,500 cheaper than the previous most affordable version in the US.

What is known

The new Tesla Model 3 Standard costs $38,630 including delivery ($1,390) and order processing fee ($250). This is the cheapest way to become the owner of a new Tesla in 2025.

The Model 3 Standard is $5,500 cheaper than the Premium RWD version. However, the savings come at the cost of several conveniences:

• Only three body colors to choose from: white, black, or gray
• Different 18-inch wheels
• Fabric seat upholstery instead of leather
• No ambient lighting in the cabin
• Manual adjustment of the steering column position
• No seat ventilation
• No rear screen for passengers
• Different shock absorbers
• Manual adjustment of side mirrors
• Additionally, the Autosteer feature has been removed, although the full Full Self-Driving package (Supervised) can be purchased for $8,000.

The Model 3 Standard is equipped with one rear motor. The range is 321 miles (517 km) by EPA cycle, which is less than 363 miles (584 km) for the Premium RWD. The acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) takes 5.8 seconds.

The charging speed at Tesla Supercharger stations is also lower: 170 miles in 15 minutes compared to 195 miles for the Premium version.

The Model 3 Standard becomes the most affordable Tesla, as the base Model Y costs $41,630. Among other electric cars priced below $40,000, the main competitors will be the new Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Deliveries of the new version will begin in December 2025 or January 2026.

Source: Motor1