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Tesla Model 3 made cheaper than ever before due to inflation

Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

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The Tesla Model 3 has become cheaper to buy than ever before, thanks to a recent price cut and inflation over the past four years.

When the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 arrived (and quickly departed) in 2019, it was heralded as the electric vehicle for the everyman, a Volkswagen Bug for the modern era. But now, thanks to a recent Tesla price cut and elevated inflation in the United States over the past four years, the Tesla Model 3 is cheaper to buy than ever.

Thanks to a remarkable price cut for Tesla vehicles, car buyers can now get a base model Model 3 for $43,990, and with the EV tax credit in the United States, that price is further reduced to $37,390. And for those who live in certain states or municipalities, that price can even be reduced further with local grants and EV incentives, often approaching the same $35,000 mark that earned the Model 3 praise way back in 2019.

But this deal becomes even more appealing considering inflation has been so high over the past four years. This has meant that the $35,000 Model 3 of 2019, translated to “2023 dollars,” comes in at just over $40,000, meaning that the current Model 3 is the cheapest the vehicle has ever been.

This same record low pricing doesn’t just apply to the Model 3 either. Via the same math, the base model Tesla Model Y has never been cheaper to buy at $45,190 (with federal incentives).

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Perhaps most shocking is how competitive this price shift has made the Tesla Model S and Model X, which are the brand’s luxury/high-performance offerings and have seldom been called “affordable.” The Model S now starts at just under $100,000, and for one of the quickest vehicles on the planet, it might just be the best deal in supercars. And when looking at the Model X, a starting price of $109,990 makes the large three-row SUV a borderline bargain compared to competitors from Jaguar, Land Rover, or Rivian.

As electric vehicles continue to gain in popularity and Tesla sales continue to grow globally, hopefully, the brand can continue to work to provide customers with affordable EV options in the coming years. And while high inflation has obviously negatively impacted countless people over the past year, this is a great example of a silver lining in the new year.

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

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Tesla ups Robotaxi fare price to another comical figure with service area expansion

Tesla upped its fare price for a Robotaxi ride from $4.20 to, you guessed it, $6.90.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has upped its fare price for the Robotaxi platform in Austin for the first time since its launch on June 22. The increase came on the same day that Tesla expanded its Service Area for the Robotaxi ride-hailing service, offering rides to a broader portion of the city.

The price is up from $4.20, a figure that many Tesla fans will find amusing, considering CEO Elon Musk has used that number, as well as ’69,’ as a light-hearted attempt at comedy over the past several years.

Musk confirmed yesterday that Tesla would up the price per ride from that $4.20 point to $6.90. Are we really surprised that is what the company decided on, as the expansion of the Service Area also took effect on Monday?

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The Service Area expansion was also somewhat of a joke too, especially considering the shape of the new region where the driverless service can travel.

I wrote yesterday about how it might be funny, but in reality, it is more of a message to competitors that Tesla can expand in Austin wherever it wants at any time.

Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion wasn’t a joke, it was a warning to competitors

It was only a matter of time before the Robotaxi platform would subject riders to a higher, flat fee for a ride. This is primarily due to two reasons: the size of the access program is increasing, and, more importantly, the service area is expanding in size.

Tesla has already surpassed Waymo in Austin in terms of its service area, which is roughly five square miles larger. Waymo launched driverless rides to the public back in March, while Tesla’s just became available to a small group in June. Tesla has already expanded it, allowing new members to hail a ride from a driverless Model Y nearly every day.

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The Robotaxi app is also becoming more robust as Tesla is adding new features with updates. It has already been updated on two occasions, with the most recent improvements being rolled out yesterday.

Tesla updates Robotaxi app with several big changes, including wider service area

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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 dominate U.S. EV sales despite headwinds

Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles accounted for more than 40% of all EVs sold in the United States in Q2 2025.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 remained the top-selling electric vehicles in the U.S. during Q2 2025, even as the broader EV market dipped 6.3% year-over-year. 

The Model Y logged 86,120 units sold, followed by the Model 3 at 48,803. This means that Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles accounted for 43% of all EVs sold in the United States during the second quarter, as per data from Cox Automotive.

Tesla leads amid tax credit uncertainty and a tough first half

Tesla’s performance in Q2 is notable given a series of hurdles earlier in the year. The company temporarily paused Model Y deliveries in Q1 as it transitioned to the production of the new Model Y, and its retail presence was hit by protests and vandalism tied to political backlash against CEO Elon Musk. The fallout carried into Q2, yet Tesla’s two mass-market vehicles still outsold the next eight EVs combined. 

Q2 marked just the third-ever YoY decline in quarterly EV sales, totaling 310,839 units. Electric vehicle sales, however, were still up 4.9% from Q1 and reached a record 607,089 units in the first half of 2025. Analysts also expect a surge in Q3 as buyers rush to qualify for federal EV tax credits before they expire on October 1, Cox Automotive noted in a post.

Legacy rivals gain ground, but Tesla holds its commanding lead

General Motors more than doubled its EV volume in the first half of 2025, selling over 78,000 units and boosting its EV market share to 12.9%. Chevrolet became the second-best-selling EV brand, pushing GM past Ford and Hyundai. Tesla, however, still retained a commanding 44.7% electric vehicle market share despite a 12% drop in in Q2 revenue, following a decline of almost 9% in Q1.

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Incentives reached record highs in Q2, averaging 14.8% of transaction prices, roughly $8,500 per vehicle. As government support winds down, the used EV market is also gaining momentum, with over 100,000 used EVs sold in Q2.

Q2 2025 Kelley Blue Book EV Sales Report by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

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Tesla China weekly insurance registrations surge 145% amid strong June results

The results follow Tesla’s solid June performance in China.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla China saw 12,300 new vehicle insurance registrations in the week of July 7-13, marking a 145% increase from the prior week’s 5,010 registrations. The surge seems to be bolstered by strong domestic demand for Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles, the Model Y crossover and the Model 3 sedan.

The results follow Tesla’s solid June performance in China, where it sold over 71,000 vehicles wholesale and introduced minor upgrades to its long-range variants.

Model Y leads weekly registrations

Of the 12,300 vehicles registered for insurance last week, more than 9,400 were Model Y crossovers and over 2,800 were Model 3 sedans, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Both vehicles are built at Tesla’s Giga Shanghai, which serves as the electric vehicle maker’s primary vehicle export hub.

Tesla introduced minor upgrades to the long-range Model 3 and Model Y on July 1. The Model 3 received a slight price increase, while Model Y pricing remained unchanged. This suggested that the Model Y is seeing continued consumer interest in the domestic Chinese market.

June sales reflect stable domestic demand

According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla delivered 71,599 vehicles in June. That’s a 0.83% year-over-year increase from June 2024 and a 16.12% jump from May. Of those, 61,484 units were sold locally, marking the second-highest domestic monthly total this year after March’s 74,127 units.

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However, exports declined in June, with 10,115 vehicles shipped abroad, down 13.89% from the 11,746 vehicles exported a year ago and 56.16% from the 23,074 that were exported in May. The export dip suggests a stronger domestic focus last month, potentially driven by local promotions or strategic inventory shifts.

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