Tesla updated its online design studio on Monday evening with several changes in pricing and options across its entire lineup. 

Some things become cheaper, others become more expensive, and several variants are going away. 

Over the last year, Tesla has been consistently adjusting its prices, especially in the US as its federal tax credit has been gradually reduced after hitting 200,000 electric car deliveries in the US. 

The automaker has also been frantically adding and removing different variants of its Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles. 

For example, Tesla dropped its newly introduced ‘Standard Range’ Model S after just 3 weeks before reintroducing it again. 

In a new lineup update today, Tesla killed the ‘Standard Range’ versions of Model S and Model X again. 

The California-based electric automaker is now only offering ‘Long Range’ and ‘Performance’ versions of Model S and Model X:

It means that the Model S now starts at $80,000 and the Model X at $85,000. 

Furthermore, Tesla is making the ‘Ludicrous’ package, which enables the 2.4-second 0-60 mph acceleration on the Model S Performance, standard on all its performance Model S and Model X.

It was previously a $20,000 option. 

Also, Tesla changed its standard paint color from black to white, as announced by CEO Elon Musk last month. 

Surprisingly, the automaker didn’t reintroduce a standard white color and instead made the ‘Pearl White Multi Coat’, previously a $1,500 option, the new standard color. 

That’s also true for Model 3, which is also seeing some option and price changes:

The base Model 3 listed on Tesla’s website is still the Standard Range Plus and it is now $38,990 with the Pearl White color instead of black. 

It’s technically a $1,000 price reduction before accounting for the paint change. 

Tesla confirmed to Electrek that the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which was previously available as an “off-the-menu” item, has now been discontinued. 

The automaker told us that the Model 3 Standard Range is still available off-the-menu in North America. 

Electrek’s Take

I think this is the third significant pricing and options change in 2019.  Tesla’s chaotic pricing strategy kind of a running joke at this point. 

There are some good news and bad news in this update. 

The good news is that the best value Model 3, the Standard Range Plus, just got a little cheaper – although you need to get it in white. 

As for the bad news, Model S and Model X base prices are now way up. 

However, the performance version is now a much better offer with Ludicrous mode included.  Though Tesla was already offering that for free to owners upgrading their cars. 

That was never a great deal to start with since Ludicrous has become a software upgrade since earlier this year when Tesla started streamlining the production of Model S and Model X. I sure hope no one bought that software upgrade for $20,000. 

I bet this update is meant to streamline it even more and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s also no hardware difference now between the Long Range and Performance versions. 

As for the pearl white, it’s nice that we get a multi-coat as standard, but I don’t get it from Tesla’s cost-cutting perspective.  It’s definitely more expensive. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if this changes again soon. 

In short, I think we can expect several more changes on top of these ones, especially when it comes to the Model S and Model X lineup. 

As for Model 3, the Standard Range Plus is now a better deal, which could be a good demand driver.  However, I’d like for Tesla to bring back a Long Range RWD version and also introduce a Standard Range AWD version. 

What do you think?  Let us know in the comment section below. 

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