Tesla Model 3 electric car goes on sale in UK from £38,900
Long-awaited saloon will lane on UK roads next month
OFFICIAL prices for the long-awaited UK-specification Tesla Model 3 saloon have been announced as the electric car maker’s most affordable model to date officially goes on sale.
British buyers who put down a £1,000 deposit after the car’s unveiling three years ago will have priority access to the right-hand drive models, which will cost from £38,900 for the entry-level Standard Range Plus model (an expected £30,000 model below this was recently canned), increasing to £47,900 for the mid-range Long Range version and £56,900 for the flagship Performance variant. All prices include the government’s £3,500 plug-in car grant.
The Standard Range model is rear-wheel drive with an estimated 258 miles of range per charge, while the Long Range version has four-wheel drive and has a claimed 348 miles in its battery pack.
Perhaps the biggest headline-grabber is the Model 3 Performance, thanks to its impressive quoted range of up to 329 miles on a single charge and supercar-esque 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds.
All Model 3s will come with power-adjustable heated front seats, satellite navigation and Tesla’s sophisticated active cruise control system with lane-keep assistance as standard. They will also receive Tesla’s ‘over-the-air’ software updates.
Buyers who go for the Long Range or Performance variants will have real-time traffic update tools, a web browser on the touch screen display and a premium stereo system added to the spec sheet.
Deliveries for the first UK customer cars are scheduled to begin in June this year, more than 18 months after deliveries of the car began in the North America and three months after the first European models were delivered to customers on the continent.
Until upcoming rivals such as the Polestar 2 and BMW i4 arrive in the UK, the Tesla Model 3 has few real competitors. It’s priced above the latest high-mileage electric cars such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro but is considerably more affordable than the Jaguar I-Pace.
Tesla Model 3 model specs compared
| Standard Range Plus | Long Range AWD | Model 3 Performance | |
| 0-60mph | 5.3 seconds | 4.5 seconds | 3.2 seconds |
| Top speed | 140 mph | 145 mph | 162 mph |
| Range (WLTP) | 258 miles (est) | 348 miles | 329 miles |
| Priced from* | £38,900 | £47,900 | £56,900 |
| Wheel options | 18”Aero or 19” Sport | 18” Aero or 19” Sport | 20” Performance |
| Drive | Single motor RWD | Dual motor AWD | Dual motor AWD |
| Vehicle warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Battery and drive unit warranty | 8 years / 100,000 miles | 8 years / 120,000 miles | 8 years / 120,000 miles |
| Kerb weight | 1,645kg | 1,847kg | 1,847kg |
| Luggage space | 542 Litres including front trunk, rear boot and underfloor storage | ||
| Length | 4,690mm | ||
| Wheelbase | 2,880mm | ||
| Width | 2,080mm (1,930mm with mirrors folded) | ||
*Price includes VAT, destination and documentation fee of £850 and £3,500 UK PiCG
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