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Tesla Model 3 receives $500 price increase amid end-of-Q1 push

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla rolled out yet another price adjustment for the Model 3, raising the all-electric sedan’s price by $500. The price increase affects the Standard Range Plus and the Long Range Dual Motor AWD variant of the Model 3.

With the recent price adjustments in place, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus now costs $37,990, up $500 from its previous price of $37,490 before options. The Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor AWD, which previously costs $46,490, now costs $46,990 before options. The top-tier Model 3 Performance has kept its price at $55,990 before options.

The Model 3’s $500 price increase is the third adjustment that Tesla has given the vehicle in the past two months. Back in February, Tesla implemented a round of price cuts that dropped the Model 3 Standard Range Plus to $36,990 from $37,990. The Dual Motor AWD variant received a $1,000 price drop, from $49,990 to $48,990.

These prices were adjusted earlier this month when Tesla increased the prices of the two Model 3 variants by $500. With the most recent $500 price increase, Tesla has effectively returned the Model 3’s base and mid-level variant to their prices before February.

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Tesla is currently in the middle of its end-of-quarter delivery push. The first quarter is traditionally soft for Tesla, so it would be interesting to see how many vehicles the company could deliver for Q1 2021, especially considering the company’s annual delivery targets.

Tesla was able to deliver 88,400 cars in the first quarter of 2020. This year, Tesla could exceed 2020’s delivery numbers, considering Elon Musk’s remarks during the Q4 and FY 2020 earnings call. At the time, he noted that Tesla could maintain a growth rate in excess of 50% per year in the coming years.

“We do think that we can maintain a growth rate in excess of 50% per year for many years to come. And at least, I’d like to — yes, at least, look forward to many — for many years to come. I think this year, we may track to a fair bit about 50%, but we don’t want to commit to that, but at least that’s what it would appear, and the same again next year. It appears to be meaningfully above 50%,” Musk said.

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com or reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com.

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Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Tesla Model X shocks everyone by crushing every other used car in America

The Model X is one of Tesla’s flagship models, the other being the Model S. Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed it would discontinue production of both the Model S and Model X to make way for Optimus robot production at the Fremont Factory in Northern California.

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Credit: Tesla Asia | X

The Tesla Model X was the fastest-selling used vehicle in the United States in the first quarter of the year, crushing every other used car in America.

iSeeCars data for the first quarter shows that the Model X was the fastest-selling used car, lasting just 25.6 days on the market on average, two days better than that of the second-place Lexus RX 350h. The Cybertruck, Model Y, and Model S, in seventh, ninth, and thirteenth place, respectively, also made the list.

The Model X is one of Tesla’s flagship models, the other being the Model S. Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed it would discontinue production of both the Model S and Model X to make way for Optimus robot production at the Fremont Factory in Northern California.

Tesla brings closure to flagship ‘sentimental’ models, Musk confirms

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Bringing closure to these two vehicles signaled the end of the road for the cars that have effectively built Tesla’s reputation for luxury and high-end passenger vehicles.

Relying on the sales of its mass market Model Y and Model 3, as well as leaning on the success of future products like the Cybercab, is the angle Tesla has chosen to take.

Teslas are also performing extremely well as a whole on the resale market. iSeeCars data shows that, “while the average price of a 1- to 5-year-old non-Tesla EV fell 10.3% in Q1 2026 year-over-year, the average price of a used Tesla was essentially flat at 0.1% lower across the same period. Traditional gas car prices dropped 2.8% during this same period.”

Additionally, market share for gas cars has dropped nearly 3 percent since the same quarter last year. Tesla has remained level, while the non-Tesla EV market share has increased 30 percent, mostly due to more models available.

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Nevertheless, those non-Tesla EVs have seen their value drop by over 10 percent, while Tesla’s values have remained level.

Executive Analyst Karl Brauer said:

“Used electric vehicles without a Tesla badge have lost more than 10% of their value in the past year. This compares to stable values for Teslas and hybrids, and a modest 2.8% drop for traditional gasoline vehicles.”

Teslas, as well as non-luxury hybrids, are displaying the strongest resistance in the face of faltering demand, the publication says. But the more impressive performance is that of the Model X alone.

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Tesla’s decision to stop production of the Model X may have played some part in the vehicle’s pristine performance in Q1. With the car already placed at a premium price point, used models are already more appealing to consumers. Perhaps second-hand versions were more than enough for those who wanted a Model X, and only a Model X.

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Tesla Cybertruck’s head-scratching trim sold terribly, recall documents reveal

The head-scratching offering was only available for a few months, and evidently, it did not sell very well, which we all suspected. New recall documents on the vehicle from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now reveal just how poorly it sold.

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Credit: Tesla

After Tesla decided to build a Rear-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck trim back in 2025, which was void of many features and only featured a small discount.

The head-scratching offering was only available for a few months, and evidently, it did not sell very well, which we all suspected. New recall documents on the vehicle from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now reveal just how poorly it sold.

The recall deals with a potentially separating wheel stud and potentially impacts 173 Cybertruck units with the 18-inch steel wheels. The Cybertruck RWD was the only trim level to feature these, and the 173 potentially impacted units represent a portion of the population of pickups. Therefore, it’s not the entire number of RWD Cybertruck sold, but it could show how little interest it gathered.

The NHTSA document states:

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“On affected vehicles, higher severity road perturbations and cornering may strain the stud hole in the wheel rotor, causing cracks to form. If cracking propagates with continued use and strain, the wheel stud could eventually separate from the wheel hub.”

Only 5 percent are expected to be impacted, meaning less than 10 units will have the issue if the NHTSA and Tesla estimates are correct. Nevertheless, the true story here is how terribly the RWD Cybertruck sold.

Tesla ended production and stopped offering the RWD Cybertruck to customers last September. For just $10,000 less than the All-Wheel-Drive trim, Tesla offered the RWD Cybertruck with just one motor, textile seats instead of leather, only 7 speakers instead of 15, no Rear Touchscreen, no Powered Tonneau Cover for the truck bed, and no 120v/240v outlets.

Tesla brings closure to head-scratching Cybertruck trim

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For just $10,000 more, at $79,990, owners could have received all of those premium features, as well as a more capable All-Wheel-Drive powertrain that featured Adaptive Air Suspension. The discount simply was not worth the sacrifices.

Orders were few and far between, and sources told us that when it was offered, sales were extremely tempered because customers could not see the value in this trim level.

Even Tesla’s most loyal supporters thought the offering was kind of a joke, and the $10,000 extra was simply worth it.

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Cybertruck RWD Recall by Joey Klender

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Tesla Semi sends clear message to Diesel rivals with latest move

The truck is being built at a dedicated facility in Sparks, Nevada, just next to its Gigafactory Nevada facility.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched Semi production at what will be a mind-boggling rate of approximately 50,000 units per year.

The truck is being built at a dedicated facility in Sparks, Nevada, just next to its Gigafactory Nevada facility.

The company finally announced on April 29 that the first Tesla Semi truck has rolled off its new high-volume production line at the factory. This marks the transition from limited pilot builds to scaled manufacturing for the Class 8 all-electric heavy-duty truck, nearly nine years after its dramatic 2017 unveiling.

Tesla initially promised high-volume deliveries by 2019–2020, but battery supply constraints and prioritization for passenger vehicles delayed progress. The new 1.7-million-square-foot factory, purpose-built next to Gigafactory Nevada’s 4680 cell production lines, resolves those bottlenecks through deep vertical integration.

The Semi uses Tesla’s structural battery packs with cylindrical 4680 cells manufactured on-site. This integration enables efficient supply, reduced logistics costs, and the potential for high output. The factory is designed for an eventual annual capacity of approximately 50,000 trucks, positioning Tesla to address growing demand in long-haul freight electrification.

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Tesla is using a redesigned Cybertruck battery cell to mitigate Semi challenges

Operating economics favor the Semi through dramatically lower fuel and maintenance costs compared to traditional diesel rigs, and companies involved in a pilot program for the Semi with Tesla have shown that.

Electricity is far cheaper than diesel on a per-mile basis, while the electric powertrain features fewer moving parts, reducing service intervals and lifetime expenses. Early deployments with customers like PepsiCo and others have validated these advantages in real-world service.

The Nevada factory’s ramp-up is targeted for full volume output before the end of June 2026, aligning with broader Tesla production goals for 2026. This includes parallel efforts on other new vehicles while expanding the Megacharger infrastructure to support widespread adoption.

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By localizing battery and truck production, Tesla gains advantages in cost, quality control, and scalability that many competitors sourcing cells externally lack. The start of high-volume Semi production represents a pivotal step in Tesla’s strategy to electrify heavy transportation, potentially accelerating the shift toward zero-emission freight across North America and beyond.

As output increases, the Semi could reshape long-haul logistics with its combination of performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

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