The Most cost-effective Tesla Mannequin 3 Simply Beat Its EPA-Estimated Vary

• The 2026 Tesla Mannequin 3 Commonplace is the most affordable new Tesla proper now.
• Ranging from $38,630, it’s EPA-rated for 321 miles on a full cost.
• In Edmunds’ unbiased vary take a look at, the Mannequin 3 Commonplace beat its official ranking by practically 6%.

The Tesla Mannequin 3 Commonplace got here out of nowhere, and it largely flew below the radar at first, contemplating that everybody’s consideration was pinned on the Mannequin Y Commonplace. However now that the mud has settled, the most affordable new Tesla EV is making headlines–and never due to its lack of creature comforts.

Ranging from $38,630, essentially the most inexpensive Tesla on the market has an EPA-rated driving vary of 321 miles on a full cost, which is something however unhealthy. Right here’s the factor, although: it simply beat that estimate in Edmunds’ unbiased vary take a look at, the place it drove practically 6% over the official estimate.

Photograph by: Tesla

With a full battery, the 2026 Tesla Mannequin 3 Commonplace drove 339 miles earlier than pulling over, which ends up in a mean power consumption of 23 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. That’s barely higher than the 24 kWh/100 miles EPA ranking, and it’s on par with the brand new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class EVnevertheless it’s price noting that Edmunds obtained Mercedes’ electrical sedan to drive 434 miles on a full cost, courtesy of the automobile’s bigger battery.

In Edmunds’ testing, the Tesla Mannequin 3 Commonplace additionally drove additional than the 2026 Tesla Mannequin Y Commonplacewhich managed 337 miles–16 greater than its EPA estimate. It’s an amazing outcome, nevertheless it’s price noting that the longest-range Mannequin 3 that went by Edmunds’ take a look at is the 2021 Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary, which drove 345 miles on a full cost.

Nonetheless, for lower than $40,000, the 2026 Tesla Mannequin 3 Commonplace appears like much less of a compromise than its crossover sibling, in line with Edmunds. In comparison with the Premium trim, the Commonplace does with out an FM radio, an 8-inch rear touchscreen, ventilated seats, Autosteer, and frequency-dependent dampers. The aspect mirrors are manually adjustable, as is the steering wheel.

The entry-level Tesla Mannequin 3 additionally has slower charging, with a most enter of 225 kilowatts as a substitute of the 250 kW achieved by the remainder of the lineup. In the actual world, Edmunds mentioned that the base-spec Mannequin 3 averaged 89 kW throughout a charging session, which implies 387 miles of vary per charging hour. By comparability, the 2024 Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary averaged 109 kW and 456 miles per hour.

There’s one asterisk in all of this, although. Right here at InsideEVs, we frequently prioritize vary exams at a continuing 70 mph on the freeway. Others do the identical, and it’s as a result of we wish to see how an EV performs in less-than-ideal circumstances. Edmundsnevertheless, believes this doesn’t precisely signify real-world driving circumstances for most individuals. Because of this, its testers comply with a strict route that’s made up of 60% metropolis and 40% freeway driving, with a mean velocity of 40 mph.