This new RWD Model 3 Long Range manages up to 363 miles on a charge — and that’s not all.
The revamped Tesla Model 3 has been filtering out into the general public over the past few months, and there’s now another version to consider. Thanks to a recent update on the EV maker’s retail website, you can now order a rear-wheel drive variant of the popular Model 3 Long Range, if you don’t necessarily need the dual-motor’s extra oomph or all-weather capability. Even better: It’s $5,000 less expensive than the all-wheel drive variant, coming in at $42,490 before any applicable incentives.
At this point, Tesla made no price changes to the AWD Long Range, the base model or the top-end Performance. As most buyers jump in with the Long Range, bringing in this single-motor version may well prop up sales, which were down 4.5% in the second quarter, even as the company instigated price cuts to try and adapt to slower demand than past years.
Speaking to Tesla’s performance this past quarter, we’ll know more when the automaker reports its earnings on July 23.
The new Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD also gains another huge advantage over the base version: the $7,500 tax credit. As it stands in July 2024, the base $38,990 Model 3 does not qualify for the federal EV incentive. Even though the Long Range RWD is $4,500 more expensive, factoring in the $7,500 tax credit actually makes the Long Range cheaper at point-of-sale. State incentives and potential gas savings can drive the ownership price down even farther — a point Tesla is keen to point out in its configurator showing potential five-year cost of ownership for this Model 3 under $25,000 (excluding taxes, fees and insurance, of course).
So, if you want a new Tesla Model 3, it looks like the RWD Long Range with its 363-mile capability, per Tesla’s estimate, is the most cost-effective way to go.
