- The 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard is the cheapest new Tesla right now.
- Starting at $38,630, it’s EPA-rated for 321 miles on a full charge.
- in Edmunds In independent range testing, the standard Model 3 beat its official rating by about 6%.
the Tesla Model 3 Standard He came out of nowhere, flying mostly under the radar at first, considering everyone’s attention was on him Model Y is standard. But now that the dust has settled, Tesla’s cheapest new electric car is making headlines, and not because of it Lack of creature comforts.
Starting at $38,630, it’s the most affordable Tesla There’s an EPA-rated driving range of 321 miles on a full charge, which isn’t bad at all. Here’s the thing, though: He’s just exceeded that estimate Edmunds Independent range testing, exceeding approximately 6% of the official estimate.
Photo by: Tesla
With a full battery, a 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard traveled 339 miles before stopping, resulting in an average energy consumption of 23 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. This is slightly better than the EPA rating of 24 kWh/100 mi, and is on par with new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class EVbut it is worth noting that Edmunds The Mercedes electric car got a range of 434 miles on a full charge, thanks to the car’s larger battery.
in Edmunds Testing, the Tesla Model 3 Standard also drove farther than 2026 Tesla Model Y Standardwhich managed 337 miles – 16 more than the EPA estimate. It’s a great result, but it’s worth noting that the longer-range Model 3 passed Edmunds The test is a 2021 Model 3 Long Range, which has covered 345 miles on a full charge.
However, for less than $40,000, the 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard feels like less of a compromise than its crossover sibling, according to Edmunds. Compared to the Premium model, the Standard model does not have FM radio, an 8-inch rear touchscreen, ventilated seats, automatic steering, and frequency-dependent dampers. The side mirrors can be adjusted manually, as is the steering wheel.
The entry-level Tesla Model 3 also features slower charging, with a maximum input of 225 kilowatts instead of the 250 kilowatts achieved by the rest of the range. In the real world, Edmunds The base-spec Model 3 averages 89 kilowatts during a charging session, which means 387 miles of range per hour of charging, he said. By comparison, the long-term 2024 Model 3 averaged 109 kilowatts and 456 mph.
There is one asterisk in all of this, though. Here at InsideEVs, we often prioritize Range tests at a constant speed of 70 mph on the highway. Others do the same, because we want to see how an electric car performs in less-than-ideal conditions. EdmundsHowever, it is believed that this does not accurately represent most people’s real driving conditions. As a result, its testers follow a strict route consisting of 60% city driving and 40% highway driving, with an average speed of 40 mph.
