There are plenty of hardened Tesla critics out there. But I feel like even the most cynical of them could get excited about a new $25,000 Tesla, especially one that was built from the ground up to be a kind of ultra-affordable electric vehicle for everybody.
Unfortunately, that’s not quite what the world got this week. Tesla unveiled the new Model 3 Standard and Model Y Standard at an event in Austin, and now that the dust has settled a bit, I think it’s fair to say both cars haven’t exactly gotten a warm welcome.
On one hand, they are cheaper Teslas. On the other hand, at nearly $37,000 and $40,000, respectively, they don’t feel like the kind of stuff it’s gonna keep BYD’s executive suite awake at night. Especially since these cars do without many key features for modern vehicles, like power, adjusting mirrors or an AM/FM radio.
On this week’s Plugged-In Podcast, we dive into both vehicles and explain the reactions we’re seeing to them across the board.
We also have a special guest in the form of Albert Gore III. He’s a veteran of the solar and climate tech space who now leads the Zero-Emission Transportation Association, or ZETA. They’re a group that works on behalf of many carmakers, charging companies, battery companies and technology providers to help with policy that leads us to a better climate future. You’ve probably seen ZETA in our pages before; they’re are among our go to experts for what’s next in the EV space in America. And Gore has a lot of compelling thoughts about what’s going to happen to electrification in America even with the EV tax credits going away.
Our show drops every Friday and is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. And let us know: Who else do you want to see interviewed on the show? What questions can we answer about the EV world? We love to hear from you, so hit us up.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
