Tesla updates Model 3 prices again

The Tesla price carousel continues to turn: In the US, the Californian electric car manufacturer has now lowered the price for the Model 3 by 1,100 dollars. The entry-level model with a mid-range battery now starts at 42,900 dollars.

Tesla had introduced the mid-range version in October and has already made several price adjustments since then. The Californian company still intends to release a basic version of the volume model for 35,000 dollars independently of this, and with a positive gross margin. CEO Elon Musk, however, said at the beginning of December that this would require cost reductions in production. Tesla said that this would happen this year.

As far as the prices for Model 3 are concerned, it should be noted that list prices in the USA are always stated as net prices and are therefore not directly transferable to Europe. When asked whether the cost would be lowered here eventually, Elon Musk tweeted: “VAT of ~20% & import duties of ~10% usually result in a 30% higher cost in Europe.” So we take this as a no for now.
In Europe, however, the mid-range version is not yet launched anyway. The current (gross) prices for the Model 3 in the German configurator are 55,400 euros for the long-range version with all-wheel drive and 66,100 euros for the model with performance package – in each case before the deduction of the environmental bonus (plug-in grant/government share). However, both models are subject to a handling fee of 980 euros.

According to the latest business figures, Tesla sold almost 140,000 Model 3 in 2018, making it “the best-selling premium vehicle (including SUVs) in the USA,” according to Tesla.

In the latest customer satisfaction survey conducted by the US Consumer Reports, Teslas Model 3 now ranks first. Last year, the influential magazine attracted attention because it first made a somewhat unflattering test verdict on the Model 3 before revising this verdict after Tesla initiated an over-the-air update. All in all, three purely electric vehicles are among the top 10 in the Consumer Report. The Tesla Model S finished fifth and the Chevrolet Bolt eighth.

Meanwhile, Tesla is taking the delivery of the Model 3 to Europe in February quite seriously. About two weeks ago, the company had received the vehicle type approval for the Model 3 in Europe and the first shiploads of electric cars have arrived in port.

reuters.com, teslarati.com, insideevs.com (Consumer Reports), electrek.co (shipment)