Can you buy a Tesla for less than 200,000 yuan?

A promotional web page of Tesla showcasing its home charging piles has sparked widespread speculation in the market that its "budget version" models will enter the Chinese market.

Recently, some netizens noticed that on the home charging pile page of Tesla China's official website, the picture of the charging vehicle displayed was the "budget version" Tesla Model Y that had been launched in the United States. Subsequently, the market began to speculate whether this model would soon be introduced into the Chinese market.

Image source: Tesla China's official website

In response, a reporter from National Business Daily found on Tesla China's official website that the promotional photo of the "budget version" vehicle that previously appeared has now been replaced with the above - mentioned picture. As of now, Tesla China's official has not responded to this matter. A Tesla China salesperson told the reporter, "We haven't received any news in this regard."

Has the 'budget version' Model 3 entered the MIIT catalog?

It is worth noting that different from the above - mentioned news that is still at the rumor stage, another model suspected to be the "budget version" Model 3 has entered the vehicle model catalog of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The reporter checked the official website of the MIIT and found that the information in the Catalogue of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempted from Vehicle Purchase Tax (26th Batch) (hereinafter referred to as the "Catalogue") released on December 31, 2025, showed that six Tesla China models were included in the catalog, including a model called "Model 3 Standard Range Plus". If corresponding by the keyword "standard version", this model may be the Model 3 Standard (standard version) that has been launched in the United States, which is commonly known as the "budget version" Model 3.

The Catalogue shows that this model regarded as the "budget version" Model 3 is equipped with a 52.9 kWh battery and has a cruising range of 480 kilometers under the CLTC working condition. Currently, the rear - wheel - drive version of the Model 3 sold in China has a CLTC cruising range of 634 kilometers. In comparison, the cruising ability of the new version has been significantly reduced.

Image source: MIIT's official website

Public information shows that compared with the existing version, the "budget version" Model 3 that has been launched in the United States has streamlined about 20 configurations. For example, the front through - type light strip and the double - layer sound - insulating glass for the windows have been removed, the adjustment of the exterior rear - view mirror has been changed to manual, and the seats no longer support electric adjustment. Its power performance has also been adjusted accordingly.

The'standard version' may be priced below 200,000 yuan

Tesla China has not yet announced the price of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus that is about to be launched in the domestic market. If we take the US market price of $36,900 (about 258,000 yuan) as a reference, this price is higher than that of the current cheapest rear - wheel - drive version of the Model 3 sold in the Chinese market (235,500 yuan), which obviously does not match the market positioning of the "budget version" and Tesla's consistent pricing strategy in China.

Therefore, market analysts generally believe that the final price of this model in China will be significantly lower than this reference price. Tao Lin, the global vice - president of Tesla, pointed out in May 2025 that more than 95% of the components of the Model 3/Y produced at the Shanghai Gigafactory have been sourced locally. This is the key reason why Chinese consumers can buy Tesla at the "world's lowest price".

Based on this cost - control ability, the industry predicts that the starting price of the rumored "budget version" Model 3 in the Chinese market may drop below 200,000 yuan, thus setting a new price benchmark and further expanding the market coverage.

In fact, the core reason for Tesla to launch the "budget version" models in the Chinese market is to cope with the growth pressure in the global and Chinese domestic markets and strategically enter the largest mainstream automobile consumer market.

On the one hand, this is directly due to the growth challenges faced by Tesla. In 2025, both Tesla's global deliveries and its retail sales in China declined. Globally, Tesla's deliveries decreased by 8.6%, from 1.789 million vehicles in 2024 to 1.636 million vehicles in 2025. In the Chinese market, its cumulative sales in 2025 were 625,600 vehicles, a year - on - year decrease of 4.8%.

Although the output of the Shanghai factory accounts for 52% of Tesla's global total deliveries, Tesla's market share is being eroded by rapidly evolving Chinese domestic brands, and the problem of its single product structure is becoming increasingly prominent. Launching budget models is the most direct and effective way to stimulate sales and stabilize its market position.

Photo by Liu Xi, reporter from National Business Daily

On the other hand, this is also Tesla's attempt to enter the real "main battlefield" of China's automobile consumption. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that in the first half of 2025, the sales of new - energy passenger vehicles were mainly concentrated in the range of 150,000 to 200,000 yuan, with cumulative sales of 1.51 million vehicles, a year - on - year increase of 16.8%.

All of Tesla's existing models are priced above 200,000 yuan. By launching the "budget version" whose price is expected to drop below 200,000 yuan, Tesla will enter this most competitive market with the largest user base for the first time, which may help it open up new growth space more quickly.

Looking deeper, this move also serves Tesla's long - term software and ecosystem strategy. Even if the vehicle price is reduced, Tesla is likely to retain its autopilot hardware. Rapidly expanding the vehicle ownership through budget models means that Tesla can collect more driving data to support the iteration of its autopilot system and accumulate a large potential paid - user base for future software subscription services.

Tesla to end FSD upfront purchase, switch to'subscription - only' model

In addition to accelerating the model update, on January 13, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on a social platform that Tesla will stop selling the one - time purchase option for FSD (Full - Self Driving) after February 14. From then on, FSD will only be available on a monthly subscription basis. Currently, the one - time purchase price of FSD in the United States is $8,000 (about 58,000 yuan), and the monthly subscription fee is $199. In the Chinese market, the one - time purchase price is 64,000 yuan, and the monthly subscription service has not been launched yet.

Image source: Tesla's official website

In fact, the price of Tesla FSD in the US market has not been constant. Public information shows that since 2018, the one - time purchase price of Tesla FSD has soared from $5,000 to $12,000 at one point, and then dropped back to $8,000 after 2024.

Some believe that the reason for Tesla to transition FSD to a monthly subscription model is mainly to lower the experience threshold, increase the function penetration rate, and accumulate more road - test data for technological iteration. In addition, since FSD is in the BETA stage and its functions are continuously being optimized, the subscription model can reduce users' expectations of "perfect after one - time purchase" and also facilitate Tesla to adjust the service content according to the iteration rhythm.

The promotion of Tesla FSD in the Chinese market is also constantly being adjusted. Since its official launch in February 2025, its name has been changed from the initial "Full Self - Driving Capability" to "FSD Intelligent Driving Assistance Function" and now to "Intelligent Driving Assistance System". In terms of function promotion, Tesla launched the urban road Autopilot function on February 25, 2025, and launched a limited - time FSD experience activity on March 17, but suspended the activity just one week later. At the Q3 2025 earnings conference call, Musk revealed that FSD is expected to obtain approval to enter the Chinese market in Q1 2026.

As of January 13 local time, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) closed at $447.20 per share, down 0.39%, with a latest market value of $1.48 trillion.

Original title: Can You Buy a Tesla for Less Than 200,000 Yuan? The 'Budget Version' Model 3 May Enter the Chinese Market with a Cruising Range of 480 Kilometers! There's Also a Major Adjustment in the US Autopilot Market

This article is from the WeChat official account "Top News of National Business Daily". Author: Liu Xi. Editors: He Xiaotao, Yu Tingting, Du Hengfeng. Republished with permission by 36Kr.