Oliver Haslam on March 1, 2019, 7:48 pm

Tesla Model 3 Finally Available For $35,000, But It’s Not All Good News

Excellent news for those looking to pick up a cheap-ish Tesla, but not such good news if you work at its dealerships, after the company finally put its $35,000 Model 3 on sale in the United States.

Unfortunately, to meet that price point it’s going to be closing its physical dealerships, cutting jobs.

First, the good news. Tesla says that its $35,000 Model 3 will ship in different versions starting with a Standard Range base model at that price point. That will get your a top speed of 130mph and an acceleration of 0 to 60mph in 5.6s. If you want something more brisk, you get the Standard Range Plus for $37,000 which not only increases the range from 220 miles to 240 miles, but also ups the top speed to 140mph and improves acceleration from 0 to 60mph to 5.3s. That model will also apparently include “premium interior features” for your extra $2,000.

All of the new models will come with a glass roof, which wasn’t the original plan, but you’ll have to make do with manual seat adjustments. The car will also ship in black as standard, with other colors available at an additional cost. It’s available in the US to start, with Europe and China coming within six months.

But it’s not all good news. Apparently in order to meet that $35,000 asking price, Tesla will be moving its sales to online-only, meaning it’s going to close many of its dealerships. Some will apparently stay open to show off Tesla’s wares, but an untold number of people will be losing their jobs as a result.

If you’re wondering how you will test drive a Tesla, the answer is that you won’t. Instead, there will be a 7-day or 1000-mile return option, meaning you can give your car back if it’s not for you.

No, we’re not sure about that, either.

(Source: Tesla)