Tesla's cheapest car is no longer available

Tesla's cheapest Model 3 variant is no longer available.

The company made no announcement, but Electrek noted on Wednesday that Tesla's Model 3 online configurator in the US does not offer the previously available Model 3 Standard Range variant.

This version, which cost $38,990, only had the rear engine and had a shorter range than the other variants, was by far the cheapest car in Tesla's lineup.

Meanwhile, the cheapest Tesla you can buy in the US is the $42,490 Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which also only has a motor but a larger battery and offers more range.

The change came around the same time as Tesla's quarterly earnings report, which showed the company delivered 426,890 vehicles in the third quarter, slightly fewer than expected.

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It's hard to speculate why Tesla made the change, but Electrek believes it could be related to the origin of the batteries in the standard range Model 3, which come from China. The US recently increased tariffs on Chinese battery cells, likely making it difficult for Tesla to use them in a car and still be eligible for the maximum $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit.

Of course, if you can claim the $7,500 federal tax credit, the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive can be had for $34,990, which is still a pretty good deal.