Tesla Model 3 price: what we know so far

One of the most-anticipated cars of the last five years is Tesla’s long-awaited Model 3 sedan.

The luxury all-electric compact executive car promises to open up plug-in non-petrol-powered transport to a far wider audience than their previous, much more expensive Model S and Model X luxury vehicles.

However, delivery and pricing details of the new model have been largely withheld by Tesla, leading to huge industry speculation about when, and how much, the potentially game-changing four-door is.

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

We aren’t expecting to see any Model 3s on Australian roads until “mid-to-late” 2019, with several hundred Aussies in the queue for Tesla’s mid-size model after placing up-front deposits of $1500 each back in 2016.

While Australian customers haven’t received updated pricing information US customers recently scored a bonus, with the American RRP for the base model dropping from $60,000 ($USD43,000) to $49,000 ($USD35,000).

This American price drop is expected – though not confirmed – to be a good indicator for Australian prices as the Tesla tsar Elon Musk tweeted in 2017 that Australian pricing for the Model 3 will be a direct conversion of the American RRP, plus import duties and sales tax. This will mean 10 per cent GST will be added to the Model 3’s list price, while the 5 per cent import duty for American-made goods was dropped at the start of the year.

Pundits are predicting this will see Aussie prices land between $50,000 and $60,000, competing directly with premium mid-size vehicles from Audi and BMW.

Interestingly, the Model 3 recently won the Kelley Blue Book prize in the USA for Best Resale Value Award. The auto value experts (and CarsGuide sister brand) said the Model 3 beat all other cars in the USA with a projected 69.3% resale value after 36 months and 48.7% after 60 months.

Are you on the waiting list for a Model 3? Let us know in the comments.