The Week in Tesla News: Model 3 Price Up, Green Light in China, Ford EV Info, Autopilot Saves a Bear

Tesla bumped up prices in the past week on two of three versions of the Model 3. The Standard Range Plus version of the Model 3, the lowest-price version listed online, now is on the website  at $39,490, up $500, though the range rating listed also rose from 240 miles to 250. The range-topping Performance version also got a price bump, up $1,000 to $56,990. Tesla had reduced prices earlier this year as the cars’ eligibility for federal tax credits began to expire.

The bump comes ahead of Tesla’s third-quarter earnings report due after the market close on Wednesday. Investors will be watching for, among other things, the effect on earnings of the growing share of sales for the less expensive Model 3.

Elsewhere, Tesla altered its return policy, China OK’d Tesla’s factory, Ford threw down a charging-network marker for its Model Y rival and a Tesla owner’s video showed Autopilot saving a bear family.

Many Happy Returns?

In addition to price changes, Tesla also has revised its order deposit and return policies. To place an order, Tesla now requires a $100 nonrefundable fee, less than the previous reservation fee and deposit fee, which were higher but also refundable. Meanwhile, it also updated its refund policy, which let buyers return their car for up to “seven days or less than 1,000 miles.” The posted refund policy still allows that, but says a buyer who returns a car can’t buy the same trim level for a year (though they could buy a different Tesla model or trim level).

China Greenlights Tesla Production

Trade wars aside, China has added Tesla to its list of government-approved automakers and granted Tesla a certificate it needed to start production at the factory it’s building near Shanghai, according to Reuters. “The green light is fully given to Tesla for production in China” and that Tesla can start building cars any time, said Yale Zhang, head of the Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight.

Model Y Sightings as Ford Touts Rival Crossover

Unlike the secrecy and teasing around the Tesla pickup truck due to be revealed in November, there have been numerous sightings in the wild of the Model Y, a Model 3-based crossover due in 2020, since its unveiling earlier this year. You can find a collection of Tesla spotters’ postings here.

Meanwhile, some scanty details emerged on the “Mustang-inspired” electric crossover that Ford says it will have in production “late 2020,” at about the same time, to rival the Model Y. In an announcement by Ford and Electrify America (a Volkswagen subsidiary), it was detailed that the new EV will have seamless access to Electrify America’s growing fast-charger network through the FordPass app. The announcement said that the EV aims for an optimal 300-mile range rating with an “extended battery and rear-wheel drive,” indicating that there may be multiple battery offerings and an all-wheel-drive version, presumably with less range.

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No Animals Harmed in Tesla Dashcam Video

A Tesla owner driving his Model 3 Performance on Autopilot near Glacier National Park in Montana says in a video description that he was cruising at about 50 mph after dark when Autopilot spotted a mama bear and her cubs in the road. He says Autopilot brought the car to a stop even as the bear gave him the “death stare” for intruding on their foraging (it’s the time of the year when bears fatten up for winter hibernation). Check out his heartwarming video above captured by the Dashcam feature.

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