Here's The Most You Could Pay For Tesla's Cheapest EV
The Model 3 might be Tesla's cheapest electric vehicle, but the price quickly and greatly escalates if wanting the best version possible.
Much of the Tesla conversation often revolves around how much the cheapest electric vehicle is, but it is sometimes worth being aware of just how much you could pay for the same EV model. Just like purchasing many other products, Tesla offers various customization options, all of which add to the overall cost. If adding them all to a Tesla Model 3, then here’s what you would get and how much you would expect to pay.
The Model 3 is the cheapest Tesla to date. There have been constant rumblings that Tesla is preparing to launch an even cheaper vehicle. Specifically, one that costs less than $30,000 and potentially as low as $25,000, but whether that actually happens remains to be seen. Even if it does, it also remains to be seen whether the cheaper model will become available everywhere and at the same low price.
The Model 3 was originally marketed as Tesla’s $35K car, but over the years and in part due to issues beyond Tesla’s control, the price has risen considerably. Attempting to buy the baseline Model 3 today will currently set the buyer back $48,490, excluding any benefits or tax deductions. With the way the market has been trending of late and the various price increases that Tesla has implemented, that price could end up being even higher in the near future.
Maxing Out The Model 3
The first thing to note is that the $48,000 mentioned above relates to the standard Model 3. For example, consumers can opt to upgrade to the Model 3 Long Range which increases the cost to $57,490, without benefits or tax breaks. There is also the option to upgrade to the Model 3 Performance which ups the cost to $62,990 before any discounts. Consumers can further add to the cost of the Model 3 Performance by changing the color to red (add $2,000), the interior to Black and White (add another $1,000), and then upgrading the smarts of the car to Full Self-Driving (add another $12,000). All of which takes the cost of the Model 3 up to $77,990.
Even then, that’s not the total cost of the most expensive Model 3 version. There’s also a $1,200 "destination & doc" fee and a $250 order fee, both of which take the total to $79,440 and this still excludes "taxes & other fees," according to Tesla. For reference, there is also a $400 Wall Connector for home charging and a $200 Mobile Connector that can be purchased as well, and these are not added to the overall bill. For example, if ordering the exact customized version of the Tesla Model 3 mentioned above, the buyer would be committing to $79,440 (excluding taxes and other fees) for the vehicle, and would need to pay $850 upfront which takes care of the non-refundable $250 order fee (also included in the $79,440) as well as the Wall Connector and Mobile Connector (neither of which are included in the $79,440).
To sum up, not only has Tesla’s original $35K car increased to more than $48,000 since launch, but by upgrading to the Performance model and then adding all of the available extras, including Full Self-Driving and the additional charging connectors, the price just about creeps over the $80,000 line.
Next: How Much It Costs To Charge A Tesla Model 3
Source: Tesla
