$35,000 Model 3 now available; Tesla moves to online sales

Tesla has commenced sales of the US$ 35,000 Model 3 variant. The electric carmaker also announced a shift to online sales worldwide.

Called Standard Range, the standard variant of the Model 3 will come with a claimed range of 354 km with the top speed restricted to 209 km/h and a 0-97 km/h time of 5.6 seconds. It will retail at US$ 35,000. For an extra US$ 2,000, Tesla will offer a Standard Range Plus model with 386 km range, 225 km/h top speed and a 0-97 km/h time of 5.3 seconds. It will also be equipped with partial premium leather interiors. Both these models will be rear wheel drive and powered by a single electric motor.

Tesla has also announced a worldwide sales shift to online only. The carmaker is expected to close down most of the existing dealerships while turning those located in high-traffic locations into galleries, showcases and Tesla information centers. The company claims that the move, when combined with other cost-saving initiatives, will allow around 6% lower vehicle price on an average.

The company has also released firmware updates for new and existing customers of Model 3 cars. The updates would increase the range of the Long Range RWD variant to 523 km, increase the top speed of the Performance variant to 261 km/h and improve the peak power of all the cars by around 5%.

Production of the Model 3 began in June 2017. Tesla Model 3 range now comes with an electric range of 354-523 km and 0-97 km/h time between 3.2-5.6 seconds.