Tesla’s cheapest Model 3 variant is no longer available.
The company made no announcement, but Electrek noticed on Wednesday that Tesla’s Model 3 online configurator in the U.S. doesn’t offer the previously available Model 3 Standard Range variant. That version, which cost $38,990 and has only the rear motor and less range than the other variants, was by far the most affordable car in Tesla’s lineup.
Now, the cheapest Tesla you can buy in the U.S. is the $42,490 Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel drive, which also only has one motor, but has a larger battery pack and offers more range.
The change happened roughly at the same time as Tesla’s quarterly earnings report, which showed that the company delivered 426,890 vehicles in the third quarter, slightly less than expected.
It’s hard to speculate as to why Tesla made the change, but Electrek thinks it could be related to the origin of the batteries in the Standard Range Model 3, which come from China. The U.S. recently increased the tariffs on Chinese battery cells, which probably makes it difficult for Tesla to use them in a car and still make it eligible for the maximum, $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles.
Of course, if you can get the $7,500 federal tax credit, the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive can be had for $34,990, which is still a pretty good deal.