Tesla has completely scrubbed the Model 3 standard battery from its website, raising questions about the long-awaited base model (TSLA)

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Tesla Model 3Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

  • Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a $35,000 version of its Model 3 sedan when unveiling the car nearly three years ago. 
  • But by Tuesday, the automaker had completely removed any standard battery option for the car from its website.
  • The move raises questions about when the base model might be available for order. 
  • In a regulatory filing Tuesday, the company said it still intends "to offer in the future a variant of Model 3 at a starting price of $35,000."
  • A Tesla spokesperson declined to comment. 

Tesla has completely removed any mention of the Model 3 with a standard battery pack, Electrek first reported Tuesday, calling into question the long-awaited, $35,000 base-model of the sedan.

Currently, the cheapest version of the Model 3 available for pre-order on Tesla’s website is the mid-range battery, rear-wheel drive for $42,900 before any savings. That price can be lowered to $32,850, the company claims, after $5,000 worth of tax savings and when six years worth of "gasoline savings" are also factored in.

In recent months, the standard version was listed as available within "4 to 6 months," Electrek notes. That no longer appears longer the case. 

A $35,000 base model was originally announced with the rollout of the Model 3 in 2016, and is widely seen as Tesla’s path to becoming a mass-market automaker. CEO Elon Musk once said that the company could start delivering the cheapest version in by the end of 2018.

A Tesla spokesperson declined to comment. 

In a regulatory filing Tuesday, the company said it still intends "to offer in the future a variant of Model 3 at a starting price of $35,000." On an earnings conference call with Wall Street analysts in February, Musk said his "rough guess" is that the model could now arrive by mid-2019. 

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Source: Business Insider – grapier@businessinsider.com (Graham Rapier)

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