2020 Tesla Model 3 vs 2021

What's the difference?

Forget the Volkswagen Beetle - could the Tesla Model 3 be the new People’s Car?

I’ll leave you to join the dots between the men behind each of the two vehicles in question, but the Tesla Model 3 is the first ‘affordable’ EV from the breakout US brand.

Affordable is relative, of course - and we wanted to find out whether the entry grade variant - the Model 3 Standard Range Plus - is the Tesla you should be buying.

Like technology trailblazers which came before it (and which it so clearly seeks to emulate) like Apple with the smartphone as we know it today, or Dyson with its stick vacuum, Tesla is the poster company for vehicle electrification.

It's undeniable the effect the brand has had on the global car market, forcing storied automaker's hands in proving full scale production (even though it might be rocky at times) of an electric-only car is not only possible, but it can be profitable and popular, too.

Which brings us to the Model 3. Following on from the successful but expensive Model S sedan and Model X SUV, the Model 3 promised to be an accessible, affordable EV for the masses, a proper people's car for the electric era.

So, has Tesla managed to achieve this? Or, is slick EV motoring at a reasonable price still a pipe dream for every-day motorists? We tested the Model 3 for a week to find out.