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Tesla China lays down the law on fake Model 3 price rumors

Tesla's Made-In-China Model 3 gets its first customer deliveries. (Source: Tesla China | Twitter)

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Tesla China is showing that it is implementing a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to lying about the prices of their cars. The company made a statement on its Weibo account earlier today, indicating that rumors of a fake Model 3 price drop would be dealt with in a Court of Law.

According to the posting from Tesla China’s official account on the Chinese social media platform, a user known as “Teikeni” stated that the price of the Model 3 would be dropping to ¥199,000 ($29,787) before incentives.

Currently, the Standard Range+ costs ¥249,900 ($37,406) before incentives, making it the most affordable version of the Model 3 sedan for Chinese customers. However, Tesla was clear in its posting that the price is currently set for the Model 3, and there is no indication that it will be dropping the price even further.

Tesla China’s account also stated that it would be taking the user who started the rumor to court.

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Credit: Tesla China | Weibo

The company’s statement regarding the false narrative regarding another price drop stated:

“The content about our price posted by this Weibo user is a rumor, which has been confirmed with Shanghai and the National Development and Reform Commission, and they also said they have no knowledge. We will file a lawsuit against the Weibo user in the court according to law.”

There are several laws that are violated by the Weibo user in this case. One could be Article 4 of the Advertising Law of the People’s Republic of China, which states that “Advertisements shall not have any false or misleading content or defraud of mislead consumers.”

Another is directly in regards to “rumor spreading” in an online setting, which holds a penalty of up to three years in jail. Reuters reported on the introduction of this penalty back in 2013, when the Chinese Judicial System noted that users could be charged with defamation if rumors they create are visited by 5,000 users or if the rumor is reposted more than 500 times.

This is not the first time Tesla China has had to deal with a lawsuit on a public scale. In August, Tesla filed a lawsuit against e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, who recently ran a promotion for the Model 3 sedan without Tesla’s approval.

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The news of the false price reductions is indicative of an effort to gain notoriety by using Tesla’s name. It is a reminder to always confirm Tesla news with the company directly, or through an intermediary that has reported on the company’s price changes in the past in an accurate manner.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Cyberbeast price drops to less than $100k but loses Luxe package with FSD

The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reduced the price of the Cyberbeast to below $99,990, but the update also removes a compelling feature set from the vehicle.

The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.

Prior to its price adjustment, the Cyberbeast was listed for $114,990. However, the vehicle’s prior configuration included a Luxe package that bundled features such as Full Self-Driving Supervised and other premium inclusions. That package is no longer listed as part of the Cyberbeast.

For its sub $100,000 price, the Cyberbeast offers 325 miles of estimated range, a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds, a payload capacity of 2,271 lbs with the Cyber Wheel, and Powershare.

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Interestingly enough, the Cyberbeast now undercuts some of its most powerful competitors with its updated price. The Rivian R1T Quad, for example, starts at $116,900, though the R1T has more range at 374 miles per charge, and it is also a bit faster with a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. 

Other rivals include the GMC Hummer EV 3X Omega Edition Truck, which has a starting MSRP of approximately $148,000 before dealer markups, the Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, which starts at over $91,000 before dealer markups, and the GMC Sierra EV Denali Max, which starts at about $101,000. 

Considering that rivals like the Rivian R1T Quad, Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, and GMC Sierra EV Denali Max outgun the Cyberbeast in raw range, the Cyberbeast’s competitiveness will likely rely on its Full Self Driving Supervised system, which allows it to navigate inner city streets and highways. 

For $99 per month, the Cyberbeast practically becomes a self-driving vehicle, and that is something that its rivals cannot match, at least for now. 

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Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

This is a considerable upgrade to the Cybertruck Rear-Wheel-Drive that Tesla offered last year. It was discontinued after just a few months, but we still have yet to see anyone share pictures of it online.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched a new trim of its all-electric Cybertruck, which has more features than previous offerings at this price point, which is an incredibly good value.

Tesla is now offering the Cybertruck All-Wheel-Drive, and starting at $59,990, it appears to be a lot of truck for the money.

Along with the sub-$60,000 starting price, Tesla gives the Cybertruck AWD a 325-mile range rating, a powered tonneau cover that houses three bed outlets. It also has Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-wire and four-wheel-steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, a towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.

This is a considerable upgrade to the Cybertruck Rear-Wheel-Drive that Tesla offered last year. It was discontinued after just a few months, but we still have yet to see anyone share pictures of it online.

That truck did not have a power tonneau, did not have adaptive suspension, leather seats, or nearly any of the premium features in the upper-level trims. It was not a great deal, either. It was only a $10,000 discount from the next Cybertruck trim, which meant losing a motor and a lot of premium features for not that much of a savings.

This is a much better offering from Tesla and could help the company see a bit of a resurgence from a sales perspective. Although the Cybertruck is a popular vehicle from a fan perspective, it is not a great seller, and Tesla knows it.

Tesla Cybertruck undergoes interior mod that many owners wanted

Despite it being a crowd favorite, it was simply priced out of people’s budgets, so this All-Wheel-Drive configuration should be easier to handle financially for many of those who wanted the Cybertruck but not the price tag that came with it.

It is not a far cry from what Tesla priced back in 2019, as it unveiled three trim levels back in November, nearly seven years ago: a Single Motor for $39,990, a Dual Motor for $49,990, and a Tri-Motor for $69,990.

This new AWD trim is just $10,000 off from that price tag, and accounting for inflation, Tesla is pretty close.

Deliveries are expected to begin in June 2026.

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Tesla dominates JD Power EV Satisfaction ranking, grabbing top two spots

The Model 3 was the highest ranking EV considered, with a score of 804, followed by the Model Y at 797, the BMW i4 at 795, and the BMW iX at 794.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla dominated JD Power’s EV Owner Satisfaction ranking for 2026, grabbing the top two spots in the survey with the Model 3 and Model Y.

The two Tesla models grabbed the first and second spots, respectively, with scores of 804 and 797 out of 1,000 possible points.

Brent Gruber, Executive Director of JD Power’s EV practice, said:

“EV market share has declined sharply following the discontinuation of the federal tax credit program in September 2025, but that dip belies steadily growing customer satisfaction among owners of new EVs. Improvements in battery technology, charging infrastructure, and overall vehicle performance have driven customer satisfaction to its highest level ever. What’s more, the vast majority of current EV owners say they will consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle, regardless of whether they benefited from the now-expired federal tax credit.”

JD Power’s study showed three key findings: Public charging satisfaction was higher than ever, premium BEVs saw more pronounced quality improvements, and BEVs held their satisfaction ratings compared to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

Tesla Grabs Top 2 Spots

Despite what some publications might try to make you believe, Tesla is still the cream of the crop when it comes to EV ownership, and real-world owners surveyed by JD Power will prove that to you.

The Model 3 was the highest ranking EV considered, with a score of 804, followed by the Model Y at 797, the BMW i4 at 795, and the BMW iX at 794. The segment average for “Premium Battery Electric Vehicles” was 786. The Cadillac OPTIQ (762), Rivian R1S (758), Lucid Air (740), Rivian R1T (739), and Audi Q6 e-Tron (690) all finished below that threshold.

Tesla Model 3 wins Edmunds’ Best EV of 2026 award

Meanwhile, a separate category for “Mass Market Battery Electric Vehicles” had the Ford Mustang Mach-E as the EV with the highest rating at 760. The segment average for this class was 727.

Tesla Supercharging Improves Public Charging Satisfaction

JD Power said the availability of public charging is “by far the most improved index factor,” and that the consistent growth of publicly available charging has helped push many consumer sentiments in a positive direction.

Most of this is due to the Tesla Supercharger Network and its expansion. However, Tesla owners are also becoming more satisfied with the infrastructure after expanding access to other EV brands, the study said.

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