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New Tesla Model 3 for $28,220

I recently bought my Model Y and I am happy with it, but I still have to look at Tesla's inventory page for the latest deals. Just today, I saw that they had a new RWD Model 3 (basic, black interior, 18inch wheels and gray) for $36,220 ($4,020 off list price) and with $7,500 IRA tax credit and $500 referral discount, the price will be $28,220 (plus delivery fees and taxes, but every other car has that on top). That price is really remarkable compared traditional cars in that class (Audi, VW, BMW) and even more when compared to the budget cars (Toyota, Honda, etc.). Even if some of the other entry level cars are maybe $20k-24k, you have to consider the total cost of ownership of an EV to really compare monthly expenses and the total over the life time of the cars. Tesla's and pretty much all EV's for that matter have lower costs in the following areas:

  • Lower cost per mileage (electric energy costs less than gasoline)
  • Almost no maintenance costs (fluids change, oil change, spark plugs, belts, etc.)
  • If using regenerative braking, you won't ever need to replace brake pads and/or disks
  • No catalytic converter exhaust system maintenance or replacement
  • No filters for oil and fluids
  • No SMOG check and associated costs/repairs with that
  • Overall less "moving or rotating" parts result in less wear and fewer potential issues
According to the Federal Office of Energy Efficiency, an EV costs $600 per year less, resulting in $3,000 savings over 5 years. When adding the gas savings (estimate of $5,000 for 5 years per Tesla website), car would "cost" $20,220. Also, the resale value after 5 years will be higher for an EV than for a traditional gasoline car as more people want to go electric (higher demand for used EV). If I would not need the cargo space of the Y for my work, I would get the Model 3 RWD. 



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