[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-affordable-tesla-model-3\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-affordable-tesla-model-3\/","headline":"The \u2018Affordable\u2019 Tesla Model 3 Costs \u00a338,900","name":"The \u2018Affordable\u2019 Tesla Model 3 Costs \u00a338,900","description":"The Model 3 is finally available in the UK, but is it what you expected? By Steve Jurvetson – https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jurvetson\/35418225484\/, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=61376691 Supposedly made to compete with the likes of BMW\u2019s 3 Series and Mercedes\u2019 C Class cars, the Model 3 was meant to be Tesla\u2019s \u2018affordable\u2019 car. After all, the Model S and Model X cost above and beyond \u00a370,000 so when we heard that the Model 3 could potentially be sold for as little as $35,000 […]","datePublished":"2019-05-08","dateModified":"2019-05-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Tesla-Model-3-Feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Tesla-Model-3-Feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-affordable-tesla-model-3\/","about":["Cars","ELECTRIC CARS","LATEST CAR NEWS","Tesla"],"wordCount":860,"keywords":["tesla","Tesla Model 3","Tesla Model 3 Price"],"articleBody":"The Model 3 is finally available in the UK, but is it what you expected?By Steve Jurvetson – https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jurvetson\/35418225484\/, CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=61376691Supposedly made to compete with the likes ofBMW\u2019s 3 Series and Mercedes\u2019 C Class cars, the Model 3 was meant to be Tesla\u2019s\u2018affordable\u2019 car. After all, the Model S and Model X cost above and beyond\u00a370,000 so when we heard that the Model 3 could potentially be sold for aslittle as $35,000 in the US, us Britons were rather excited. Now that it\u2019shere, available in the UK, reality has hit hopeful customers square in the facewith a giant price tag and unattractive options.Tesla have been a hot topic for debate for awhile now and for good reason. Paint scratches on factory-new cars, dodgypricing and crazy tweets from Elon Musk, there\u2019s plenty of ammunition forTesla-hater. Will the Model 3 prove itself in the UK or will it fall flat?  \u2018Affordable\u2019 Tesla\u2019s Model 3 is supposedly their most \u2018affordable\u2019 model in their limited lineup. This is true because it costs less than \u00a370,000 so it\u2019s the cheapest by default, however, a car that costs \u00a338,900 certainly doesn\u2019t belong in the \u2018affordable\u2019 category and many people have picked up on that. This is a problem, especially when Tesla are yet to offer their Model 3 through finance (only hire purchase is available at the moment), which prices out a lot of potential buyers. Jengtingchen [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)]Most would-be customers are disappointed to see that the $35,000 price tag seen in the US has been translated to a \u00a338,900 price tag here in the UK. After adding on taxes, import costs and apparently the cost to put the steering wheel on the other side, $35,000 has been converted into almost \u00a339,000, rather than a price closer to \u00a327,000, which is what some hopeful buyers expected.Steve Jurvetson from Menlo Park, USA [CC BY 2.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0)]Furthermore, if you didn\u2019t know already, Tesla like to show you two prices on their website; one price showing the real price of the car, the other showing you the price of the car \u2018after savings\u2019. For instance, you may think that \u00a338,900 sounds like a lot of money, but Tesla are here to convince you that after \u2018savings\u2019 the car will only cost \u00a329,400 thanks to fuel savings alone, apparently. That only applies to those spending \u00a31,900 per year on fuel and it\u2019s also important to note that you can buy any other less expensive electric vehicle and see these same fuel savings. If your Model 3 ends up costing over \u00a340,000, which it will if you want the self-driving option, then you\u2019ll also have to pay over \u00a3300 per year on car tax, despite your car being emission free!By Seungho Yang – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=65366416This is because cars that cost over \u00a340,000endure a luxury tax which is \u00a3320 each year for the first 5 years ofregistration, effective from the second year of registration. Elon Musk has also said that Model 3 owners wouldn\u2019t be able to benefit from free Supercharging because it would be too expensive for the company to provide it to owners of the lower-cost vehicle.Lack of optionsMariordo (Mario Roberto Dur\u00e1n Ortiz) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)]What you may not know is that if you want anycolour other than black it\u2019ll cost \u00a3950 – \u00a31,900 extra and you can only choosefrom black, white, red, blue or grey. The other option of wheels will set youback \u00a31,450 and the desolate interior only comes in black or white, with whitecosting you \u00a3950 extra. The real stinger is the cost of the autopilot functionalities which for some reason, aren\u2019t included as standard in your Model 3. This is one of the main selling points for any Tesla car and it unfortunately costs \u00a34,900 extra to add! If you want to upgrade your car\u2019s software after you\u2019ve taken delivery, then that figure of \u00a34,900 turns into \u00a36,800! Tesla add on almost \u00a32,000 onto the cost! Mariordo (Mario Roberto Dur\u00e1n Ortiz) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)]Tesla know exactly what they\u2019re good at and they stick to it. The Model 3 is exceptionally fast with a 0-60mph time of just 5.3 seconds in the most basic model, and as quick as 3.2 seconds in the Performance model. The cars are capable of achieving great electric range as well, ranging from 258 miles to 329 miles depending on the model. And let\u2019s not forget about the auto-pilot technology that seems to be years ahead of the competition, which is probably why they charge nearly \u00a35,000 for it.Jengtingchen [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)]That being said, when it comes to design, interior luxuries and price, the Model 3 is beaten by many other competitors. With the Model 3 priced much higher than similar luxury vehicles, it will be interesting to see whether it struggles to sell, or becomes a great success as it did in the US.Feature Image: Punkdali [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)]"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The \u2018Affordable\u2019 Tesla Model 3 Costs \u00a338,900","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-affordable-tesla-model-3\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]