Elon Musk predicts base Tesla Model 3 will cost £33,000 in UK

At last, Tesla is starting shipping the entry-level Model 3. It costs $35,000 in the U.S., which converts to £26,400, but Elon Musk says it will cost a little more once it reaches Britain...

Elon MuskTesla has finally announced the long-awaited arrival of the $35,000 ‘entry-level’ Model 3 electric car. This is the model that the firm hopes further accelerate sales of its in-demand Nissan Leaf rival.

However, while some are crunching the numbers and predicting a £26,400 price by the time the car reaches the UK, Elon Musk has warned things won’t be quite so straightforward. 

The more affordable Model 3 arrives in Europe in around six months’ time, he said – but local taxes and import duties mean the price is going to rise, by at least 25 percent.

This equals a predicted entry price of £33,000, rather than £26,400.

Tesla has ace up its sleeve, though: the remarkable performance of the Model 3. Even the entry-level car will do 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds – that’s faster than many sporty hot hatchbacks (which can also cost upwards of £30,000…). It’s also considerably quicker than all direct rivals.

The 220-mile range isn’t quite as good as the £32,995 Kia e-Niro: that car has a 282-mile range. But the Model 3 is currently tested to the tougher U.S. EPA standard; by the time it’s put through Europe’s WLTP test, the gap to the e-Niro may be narrowed. 

Tesla also offers a Model 3 Standard Range Plus variant: 6 percent more money (around £1,500) buys 9 percent more range, plus a power boost and better interior spec.

The sub-£30,000 Model 3?

Tesla Model 3

There coudl be yet another card up Tesla’s sleeve, too: the Government Plug-in Car Grant. This is worth £3,500. Subtract it from Elon’s indicated price and, lo, you have a sub-£30,000 Tesla Model 3.

If the firm really can deliver that headline-grabbing price, Tesla and Elon Musk really will have done something remarkable. 

Suddenly, those early deposit-holders will be feeling very chuffed with themselves indeed… 

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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