Tesla is now producing the $35,000 version of the Model 3. It can be ordered online – the only way to buy a Tesla now.
As is often the case with Tesla, it’s better late than never as the company announced Thursday its “Standard Range” Model 3 is now available for purchase.
The California-based EV maker had planned for this to be the case from the word go, but it began delivering the higher priced version of the Model 3 – as much as nearly $60K – about a year ago in an attempt to generate more profits for the company.
“From the beginning, this has been the goal,” Musk said on a press call about the news. “It’s an incredible car.”
The new Standard Range Model 3 travels 220 miles on a charge, has a top speed of 130 mph and does zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, the company revealed. There is an upgraded version, the “Standard Range Plus” that travels 240 miles on a charge, hits 140 mph and sprints to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. That extra performance comes for $37,000.
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The new versions of the Model 3 will come with an all-glass roof, however, it also has manual seats. The new Model 3s will available in Europe and China in “three to six months,” according to Musk. The Standard Range Plus model will also come with “premium interior features,” according to Tesla, including power seats.
The new Model 3 can be ordered online immediately. In fact, that’ll be the only way it can be gotten and going forward that will the company’s new sales model, Musk revealed. The company will close most of its stores across the U.S.
(Click Here for details about Musk’s declaration Tesla will have a driverless car by the end of the year.)
“All sales will be online,” Musk said during the call.
Tesla will keep some high-volume retail locations open as galleries, showcases and Tesla information centers. The move away from physical stores is aimed at reducing costs — a big focus by Musk these days. The company’s finances have improved recently, but Tesla isn’t out of the woods.
(SEC cites Musk for contempt. Click Here for the story.)