Tesla Launches Base Model 3 For $35,000 With Shorter Range, New Interior (electrek.co)

In a call with reporters Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is finally launching the long-promised standard Model 3 with a base price of $35,000. "The automaker is now making several new versions of the Model 3 available with a shorter range and new interior options," reports Electrek. From the report: Today, Tesla sent an email to its retail stores the details of the announcement of the new options being available to order in the U.S. today and available as soon as next month. All the details are expected to become available in the next hour, but here's what we know so far: Customers are now able to order the $35,000 Model 3 with a standard interior and standard battery pack enabling 130mph top speed and 5.6s 0-60s acceleration. Tesla is also making a new "Partial Premium Interior" with better seats than the standard interior available with a different "standard range plus" battery pack for a $2,000 premium. The Model 3 Standard Range Plus results in 240 miles of range, a top speed of 140mph, 0-60mph acceleration of just 5.3 seconds. Tesla says that deliveries are starting within the next 2 to 4 weeks depending on the configuration in the U.S. In Europe, Musk said it will be available to order within the "next 3 to 6 months." Slashdot reader Rei provides additional details: The new unveiling introduced a whole slew of variants, including (price, range, top speed, 0-60, premium):

SR: $35K, 220 miles, 130mph, 5.6 seconds, non-PUP
SR+: $37K, 240 miles, 140mph, 5.3 seconds, partial-PUP
MR: $40K, 264 miles, 140mph, 5.2 seconds, PUP
LR: $43K, 325 miles, 140mph, 5.0 seconds, PUP
AWD: $47K, 310 miles, 145mph, 4.5 seconds, PUP
P: $48K, 310 miles, 162mph, 3.2 seconds, PUP

Pricing, ranges, and features have by and large significantly surpassed initial promises. For example, the Long Range (LR) variant was supposed to be a $9K premium over SR, with the Premium Upgrades Package another $5k, but now PUP is included in LR and the price difference is only $8K. Range and performance specs have been upgraded not just on new vehicles, but will also be upgraded on existing vehicles, where applicable, via software update. The price for Autopilot has dropped from $5K to $3K, and some features once planned to be premium-only -- including the glass roof and auto dimming, power folding, heated side mirrors -- are now standard. The Model S and X product line has also been modified, with higher performance at the top end and lower prices at the bottom.

To achieve cost savings, in addition to production optimizations and the recent layoffs, Tesla announced an unexpected strategy: they're closing most of their stores. Sales will only be conducted online. Instead of test drives, cars can be returned within 7 days or 1,000 miles at no charge. "Quite literally, you could buy a Tesla, drive several hundred miles for a weekend road trip with friends and then return it for free," Tesla said in their blog post.

Comments

Closing stores?

[Camembert]

This doesnâ(TM)t look like a good idea to me. A car is something that most consumers want to sit in and explore in the showroom. It is not like a book you order online.

Re:Closing their stores?

[omnichad]

cars are something people want a shopping experience with

No. That is literally the worst part of car ownership.

You get a 7-day, 1,000-mile evaluation instead!

[Morgaine]

A car is something that most consumers want to sit in and explore in the showroom.

Apparently Tesla is giving potential customers 7 days of full possession and 1,000 miles of test drive instead, if I understood it correctly.

That seems enormously superior to sniffing around in a showroom for an hour, to me at least.

Re:You get a 7-day, 1,000-mile evaluation instead!

[Anonymous Coward]

All new cars have a few dozen or sometimes a few hundred miles on the clock when you receive them, as they're driven with trade plates during commissioning.

You didn't think a new car arrives shrink-wrapped to your door for you to unbox, did you?

Re:You get a 7-day, 1,000-mile evaluation instead!

[Miamicanes]

If Tesla were smart, they'd cut a deal with someone like Hertz or Avis, so that if you wanted to test-drive a Tesla, you could go rent one for a week (at some non-free price that would be considered a fair price if you were just renting it to drive for a week while traveling), then apply the price of up to 4 rental weeks from the past year to the purchase price of a Tesla if you decided to buy one.

IMHO, that would kill two birds with one stone... it would avoid the problems of dealing with returned cars from people who changed their minds (since the same cars would be rented over and over), while simultaneously drawing in potential buyers who might decide to rent a Tesla for a week while on vacation & decide that they absolutely LOVED it. It also minimizes the impact of regional availability... a family from a small town in North Dakota or Montana could rent a Tesla while vacationing in Orlando, Miami, or Las Vegas for a week just as easily as a family from Seattle or Atlanta. It also minimizes the risk to the people trying one out... if even a "normal" rental car in Miami is going to cost $200 for the week, and you can get a Tesla for $50-100 more, lots of people who might not have gone out of their way just to rent a Tesla in their hometown might say "fuck it, I'm on vacation, gimme the Tesla!"

Honestly, I think their BIGGEST problem would be supplying with the rental car company with enough cars to satisfy the demand. They probably WOULD have to start off for the first year or two by limiting it to just a couple of very popular vacation markets... say...

year 1: Orlando and Las Vegas

year 2: Miami, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago

year 3: every remaining international airport in Florida, plus every city that currently HAS a Tesla showroom. I'd expect that over time, places like South Florida would probably have Tesla-equipped Avis/Hertz locations at BOTH the airport AND some off-airport suburban locations that seriously blurred the line between "rental car office" and "de-facto Tesla showroom".

Their biggest problem would be convincing Hertz or Avis to keep the cars in circulation for 2-3 years instead of replacing them all annually (since otherwise, Tesla would be struggling just to keep the rental car company fully supplied, let alone anyone else).

Re:You get a 7-day, 1,000-mile evaluation instead!

[R3d M3rcury]

Except that you actually have to pay for it.

I mean, before I plunk down $35,000 for a car, I’d like to try it out first. Maybe take it for a test drive or something. And I don’t even want to think of the issues of financing that purchase and then deciding I don’t want the car...

Re:You get a 7-day, 1,000-mile evaluation instead!

[DarkOx]

What do you normally use rent-a-wreck or something? I rent a lot cars traveling for business and with very few exceptions the cars I get from Enterprise are fairly new, virtually never more than 3 years old, with impeccably cleaned interiors.

How is it "better"?

[SuperKendall]

260 Mi range and an SUV rather than a Sedan.

Does it have AWD, or even an option? Doesn't seem ike it from the specs.

Any quick charge ability? Again reading through the product page, seems like an overnight charge,

6.2 inches of ground clearance - Just 0.3 inches more than a MINI countrman, 0.7 more than a model 3 so claiming it is "an SUV" is kind of misleading.

60 mph in 6.4 seconds.

Not sure in what way this car is actually better, except maybe a bit more interior cargo space. By any other metric it is not as good or useful.

As someone else said in another comment, without some approach to long range quick charging it's not a viable option for a lot of people (though I guess you could buy a Kona Electric for everyday use, then a Tesla for roadtrips and return it).

Re:How is it "better"?

[SuperKendall]

It has heated and cooled seats

So does the Model 3.

I drove a friends Model 3 and it is very disconcerting to have to look to your right

I drive a MINI with the speedometer in the middle of the dash, that is not a problem at all after a day or two.

It has 260 miles and access to CCS and ChargeAmerica

That range is OK although personally for a long road trip I think 300 would be a minimum, especially as you drain the car for various uses (like seat heaters).

I'm glad they have something but it still seems like Tesla has a much more expansive quick-charging network.

Rear visibility. The Model 3 is really difficult to get a clear rear view

I'll believe that when I see it as ALL new cars have incredibly poor rear visibility now, sloping roof or not.

In fact I do not believe it at all when I look at the rear shots of the Kona Electric (about fourth image from top), that is a tinier rear area to see through even than the Model 3 (especially with the roof being glass)! It is the typical no-visibility rear view window you find on every crossover SUV today.

And if you are doing a long 400 mile drive would you rather do it in a cramped sedan or a SUV with more legspace.

The Model 3 has a lot of leg space (my friend has one), these small crossover SUV's can often be worse depending on how they have allocated the cargo area.
I can tell you for sure I'd rather be in a Model 3 than a Rav4 for example....

Re:What?

[CohibaVancouver]

Would they also be able to sell me undercoating and fabric and paint "protection" for the car?

Re:Hyundai Kona Electric

[drinkypoo]

Tesla unfortunately for them has to make money on each car but thats not my problem.

Munro & Assoc. claims that Tesla will make a profit even at $35k. They didn't start sooner because they had many customers at a higher price point, and more profit is better... plus they did need the money

Re:Closing their stores?

[Anonymous Coward]

The trouble is that when you actually want to buy the car, you're at some point going to get shuffled into a room with the slimy 'finance' guy who'll waste an hour of your time trying to swindle and guilt you into paying for crap you don't want (and in most cases, you'll deal with other annoying "oh, you can't get that price.. Oh, ok.. let me go check with my manager" [wait 20 mins] on repeat before you get there). The dealerships I bought from are dead to me. In their world, this stuff still happens. I moved on a long time ago and I see exactly what they are.

Re:Closing their stores?

[bob4u2c]

Going to a dealership to "test drive" a car should be the last step. First, contact local car rental companies and see if you can book a specific car for a day or two (usually weekdays are the cheapest). Rental cars are usually fully loaded and you can drive the thing for a whole day wherever you want with nobody looking over your shoulder. Try fitting those child seats, take the family to the store and see how it feels with no pressure. If it handles poorly, doesn't have enough umph, or brakes like your on black ice, it only cost you a little to find out.

Once you know the type of car you want, then you move online or to dealerships. Get at least three prices and millage for the car you want. Then take the lowest price and subtract 3% (which should be about the right price anyway, check KBB), make this the price of a fake dealership and add to your pile of quotes you take with you in a folder. Order the quotes by lowest millage. Then go to the first dealership and ask for a test drive. If you like the car offer your 3% lowest price. If they balk open the folder, pull out their quote and toss it in the garbage. Thank the salesperson for their time and you'll just go with your next option; then walk out. I've never made it more than 5 steps before the salesperson has to have a talk with the boss. Usually they come back with some sob story or they will loose money on the deal, in which case I respond with a "well maybe one of these other dealerships can do better" and I stand up again. They are quick to act, and after a second talk with their boss they agree to the price.

My next car I buy I might see if I can order online without ever stepping foot on a sales lot. Personally I wish I could just order direct from the car company. They don't even need to deliver to my door, to my town would be great (say leave it in a mall parking lot or some place publicly accessible). They could even pre-mail you a key to open the doors and have the key inside the center console, or if the car has onstar they could arrange to have the car unlocked when are are near the car. I'd even have a friend drive me, or take a bus, or a plane trip to pick up a car if they couldn't deliver to my town. Just as long as I don't have to step foot on a dealership lot again.

Re:Closing their stores?

[hackertourist]

Haggling with the salesman is the worst part of car ownership. Test drives are (for me) an absolute requirement. I will not spend thousands on something I can't thoroughly evaluate beforehand.

Re:Closing their stores?

[omnichad]

You can be successful at it and still hate every minute of it.