Key Points:
- A new Tesla Model 3 Standard trim level starts at $38,630, which is $5,500 less than the next-most-expensive rear-wheel-drive Premium trim.
- For that upfront savings, you get less range, a slower 0-60 mph time and fewer features.
- Tesla has also lowered the price of its Model Y SUV, which also gets a Standard trim level that’s less expensive and has fewer features.
Along with revealing the expected lower-priced Tesla Model Y Standard today, the EV maker also debuted a new Standard version of its Model 3 compact sedan. Like the new Model Y Standard, the Model 3 Standard trades slightly lower estimated range, a slower 0-60 mph time and fewer (or less expensive) features for a lower price of entry. The Model 3 Standard starts at $38,630 (including destination and order fees) — $5,500 less than the next-most-expensive Premium trim level.
Related: Is the Cheaper 2026 Tesla Model Y Worth Your Consideration?
What the Model 3 Standard Gives Up
- Estimated driving range drops 42 miles, to 321 miles
- 0-60 mph acceleration drops 0.9 second, to 5.8 seconds
- Three color choices (gray, white and black) instead of six
- No FM radio
- No second-row 8-inch touchscreen
- No interior ambient lighting
- Manually adjustable steering wheel instead of power-adjustable
- No ventilated front seats or heated rear seats
- No frequency-dependent shocks
- No Autosteer feature
Despite the decontenting, the Model 3 Standard still comes with convenience and safety features like heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, blind spot warning and a hands-free power trunk lid. It also has all of the expected remote functionality of the Tesla app, as well as access to Tesla’s robust network of Superchargers.
What Other Electric Cars Can You Buy for Around $40,000?
The number of electric cars in the $40,000 price range is relatively slim, but that’s mainly because automakers are choosing to sell electric SUVs instead of electric cars to satisfy the preferences of U.S. buyers. The Model 3 Standard’s closest competitor is the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, which currently starts at $39,095 for the standard-range SE trim level that has an EPA-rated 240 miles of estimated range; the regular SE trim has 342 miles of estimated range in rear-wheel-drive form and starts at $44,045. Hyundai hasn’t released details or pricing on the 2026 Ioniq 6 as of publication, but the brand did recently make significant price cuts to its 2026 Ioniq 5 SUV in the wake of the elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
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