Tesla makes Autopilot standard with Model 3

Tesla has made a number of changes regarding its Model 3 vehicle. The Autopilot feature is now standard and the cheapest $35,000 version is no longer available to order from the website.

The cheapest version of the Model 3 that Tesla now offers through its website is the Model 3 Standard Plus. That version used to cost from $37,500 and now $39,500, but that price now includes Autopilot, an upgrade that previously cost $3,000. Tesla makes Autopilot standard, because the company concludes based on data that it reduces the risk of accidents and improves driving comfort. For the Benelux, Tesla announced on Friday that the Model 3 Standard Range Plus is available from 47,800 euros.

The change affects the Model 3 Standard, the cheapest version priced at $35,000. Tesla makes this model a software-limited version of the Standard Plus, reducing range by 10 percent and disabling multiple features. This includes streaming music, live visual navigation and heating the seats. The Standard version is also only available through physical Tesla dealers or after contacting the company by telephone.

According to Tesla, Standard Plus already sold six times better than Standard. The company will start leasing the Model 3 in the US. Tesla reports that users will not have an option to buy the vehicle after the lease period has expired. “Because in the future they will be able to drive fully autonomously through an over-the-air update, we plan to use those vehicles for the Tesla taxi service,” the electric car maker wrote.