The cut-price Model 3 is dead: Tesla cancels US$35,000 EV – reports

The US$35,000 Tesla Model 3 is reportedly dead, with the brand no longer taking orders on the cut-price EV in the USA.

Officially launched in February 2019, the US$35,000 ($47,900) EV made some big promises, including: “220 miles of range, a top speed of 130mph and 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.6 seconds, and is now available at $35,000!”

While initially listed on the Tesla website, the cheapest Model 3 evolved to be a Standard Range Plus with some features locked out, and wasn’t advertised on the brand’s sites, and was instead offered exclusively off menu.

“Given the popularity of the Standard Plus relative to the Standard, we have made the decision to simplify our production operations to better optimize cost, minimise complexity and streamline operations,” Tesla says.

“As a result, Model 3 Standard will now be a software-limited version of the Standard Plus, and we are taking it off the online ordering menu, which just means that to get it, customers will need to call us or visit any one of the several hundred Tesla stores.”

But the most affordable Tesla to date has now been killed off for the 2021 model year, with Electrek reporting that Tesla staff have been told they are no longer able to order the feature-locked variant, outside of existing 2020 stock they are yet to shift.

In the US, the cheapest model now offered is the $37,990 (before on-road costs) Standard Range Plus, while in Australia, that same model is listed at $66,900 (again, before on-road costs).

Still, the dream of a truly affordable Tesla isn’t dead yet, with Elon Musk now flagging a $25,000 EV, made possible by falling battery costs.