Tesla’s cheapest model reportedly goes into production in Shanghai

Tesla’s cheapest EVs could be heading to Australia soon after reports from credible sources in China confirm that the company’s Shanghai factory is now producing them.

According to a trusted Tesla China source, Tslachan on X, Tesla’s Model 3 Standard is now being produced at Tesla’s Shanghai factory and markets such as the Philippines, Thailand and South Korean markets can now order them.

This hints at a potential broader rollout around other markets that the factory currently supplies vehicles to, including Australia and New Zealand.

Thailand now has the Standard model appearing in the configurator, around 20% below the Premium model’s pricing. The Thai market is important to note, given it’s also a right-hand-drive market, like ours in Australia.

Previously, the Standard model was also launched in the UK earlier this month but that is likely to have it supplied from Berlin.

In October 2025, Tesla finally unveiled its new “affordable” versions of its Model Y and Model 3 electric cars in the US, followed by launches in left-hand-drive markets in Europe and then the right-hand-drive (RHD) Model Y variant in the UK.

This variant, comes with 534 km of WLTP range and a top speed of 201 km/h. Acceleration is also slightly slower, coming in at 6.2 seconds in a 0-100 km/h sprint.

Only 18-inch wheels are on offer, with no option for 19-inch Nova wheels found on Premium variants.

Styling for the model is similar to the current lineup, with no noticeable change. The Model 3 standard does retain Hardware 4 cameras for FSD Supervised capabilities and a front bumper camera, which is signature to all current models.

Notable specs on this most affordable variant are 7 speakers with the sound system, down from 9 speakers on the Premium variant.

Manually adjustable steering wheel and cloth seat trims as well as a 15.4-inch screen at the front are on offer. The rear screen is also gone.

Interestingly, in Thailand, it’s currently only offered in three colours which include grey, white and black. The grey is the standard colour, while white and black are paid upgrades.

Currently in Australia, the base model is the rear-wheel-drive which starts at $54,900 before on-road costs.

If the standard variant is to come to market like ours later this year, we can expect it to be priced at under $50,000 mark, given the competition in the market.

We look forward to seeing how this model fits into our local lineup or if Tesla would like to keep our lineup the way it is today.