Tesla drops Model 3 Mid Range battery
The range shuffling has continued at Tesla, with North American and Mexican customers losing the mid-range option.
Tesla has continued playing musical chairs with its range, dropping the mid-range Model 3 from the line-up after just five months on sale.
The option has been removed from Tesla's online configurator in markets where the new entry-level model is available, leaving the Standard Range, Long Range and dual-motor Performance for North American and Mexican buyers.
As for why Tesla has culled the variant? The company is constantly looking for ways to streamline its production processes, and the Mid Range was initially introduced to give pre-order customers a cheaper entry point to the Model 3 world.
Given that cheaper entry point now exists, it's easy to see how the Mid Range has served its purpose. There's no word on the Tesla Blog about why the change has been made, and no public comment from the company.
The variant was US$9,000 ($12,650) cheaper than the Long Range, and was only offered with rear-wheel drive.
Compared to the Long Range, it mid-range took 1.1 seconds longer to complete the 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint, managing the test in 5.6 seconds instead of 4.5 seconds, and lost 20mph (32km/h) in top speed (145mph vs. 125mph).
The more affordable Model 3 was fitted the same battery as its more expensive brethren, albeit with fewer cells. As a result of this, its range drops from 310 miles (498kms) to 260 miles (418kms).
Tesla last week announced its Model Y SUV, and on March 1 announced the long-awaited US$35k Model 3 will enter production this month.
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