Tesla starts leasing Model 3s, $37,000 version is now software-locked

Enlarge / My favorite view of the Model 3 is from dead-ahead. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

On Thursday night, Tesla announced some changes to its Model 3 range. The lineup has been simplified, the prices have been altered, and in the US it will now be possible to lease the car.

First, Autopilot is now a mandatory option, although the company is only raising prices by $2,000 on each configuration instead of the $3,000 that customers have paid until this evening.

Next, the Standard Range Model 3—the one with cloth seats that Elon Musk told us about as recently as February—is now gone. Instead, the cheapest Model 3 will be a software-locked version of the Standard Range Plus, which now costs $39,500. Its range drops from 240 miles (386km) to 216 miles (348km), and features like music streaming, navigation with live traffic, and heated seats will be disabled. Additionally, if you want one you have to call the company or visit one of the stores—there is no option to order it online.