Tesla Model 3 Cheap Version Ready to Enter Production at Giga Shanghai
JAKARTA - Price is one of the factors that make Tesla less competitive with its main competitors in the Chinese electric car market. However, Tesla seems to be preparing to penetrate deeper into the mass market segment by presenting the latest variant of the Model 3 which is much more affordable.
This news is getting stronger after the production line at the Gigafactory Shanghai was reportedly completed to prepare for assembling a more cost-efficient standard version. This follows the footsteps of a similar launch in North America, where Tesla is trying to significantly reduce selling prices by adjusting a number of luxury features to reach a wider consumer.
Launching ChinaEVHome, Wednesday, March 25, to achieve this more competitive price point (below 200,000 yuan or around Rp490 million), Tesla will cut about 20 features or be simplified. This transformation is clearly visible in the interior, where the iconic leather seats are replaced by quality fabric materials, as well as the removal of seat ventilation and ambient lighting features. In addition, the entertainment screen for the back passengers as well as the premium audio system are eliminated, while some electric seat settings are changed to manual controls to reduce production costs.
The technical and comfort aspects are also not spared from adjustments to support this efficiency. On the glass part, Tesla switched from using double-layer glass to single-layer glass, which of course has an impact on the sound insulation level in the cabin. In terms of performance, the standard variant of the Model 3 is equipped with a 52.9 kWh battery pack that can travel up to 480 km based on the CLTC test standard. Although slightly below the Long Range variant, its acceleration ability is still quite capable with a record of 0 to 100 km / h in about 6.2 seconds.
The presence of this economical version of the Model 3 is not just a mere rumor, considering that the vehicle data has been included in the list of related ministries in China at the end of 2025. Interestingly, this product from Shanghai is not only intended for the Chinese domestic market, but has also started to greet consumers in Southeast Asian regions such as Thailand and the Philippines, as well as South Korea. With the production volume of the Gigafactory Shanghai continues to show strong annual growth figures, the presence of this variant becomes Tesla's main weapon to face the tight competition in the global electric vehicle industry.