The $35,000 Tesla Model 3 has arrived at last

After many reservation holders waited almost three years for the chance to own a Tesla, the opportunity to order has (finally) arrived. Announced in a blog post from Tesla, "the standard Model 3, with 220 miles of range, a top speed of 130 mph and 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.6 seconds is now available at $35,000!" 

Above: Tesla's Model 3 has arrived (Flickr: Thomas Hawk)

And that's not all. Tesla is also "introducing the Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which offers 240 miles of range, a top speed of 140 mph, 0-60 mph acceleration of just 5.3 seconds and most premium interior features at $37,000 before incentives. For 6% more money, you get 9% more range, more power, and an upgraded interior."

Above: A look at the standard vs. premium Model 3 interiors (Reddit: scottg96)

However, Tesla explained that in order "to achieve these prices while remaining financially sustainable, Tesla is shifting sales worldwide to online only." The company says that "shifting all sales online, combined with other ongoing cost efficiencies, will enable us to lower all vehicle prices by about 6% on average, allowing us to achieve the $35,000 Model 3 price point earlier than we expected."

Above: A look inside the base trim Model 3 (Image: Tesla)

And even if you already own a Model 3, Tesla is going to improve your car. How? It turns out the company will be "implementing a number of firmware upgrades for both new and existing customers. These upgrades will increase the range of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 to 325 miles, increase the top speed of Model 3 Performance to 162 mph, and add an average of approximately 5% peak power to all Model 3 vehicles."

Above: New Model 3 configurations currently available (Image: Tesla)

In addition, Tesla has committed to improving its service operations "with the goal of same-day, if not same-hour service." In fact, Elon Musk told InsideEVs, "Our headcount in 12 months will probably be significantly higher than today, due to adding lots of people to manufacturing, engineering and service."

Above: While Tesla is reducing its stores, it's increasing its network of superchargers and service infrastructure worldwide (Image: Teslarati)

Furthermore, CleanTechnica reports, "Tesla will nearly double the size of its Supercharging and Destination Charging networks in California by the end of 2019. The increase is just one part of a larger effort to improve the availability of Tesla’s public charging network in regions across the world in support of increased shipments."

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Source: Tesla, InsideEVs , CleanTechnica