Trying to pin down the cost of a Tesla in Australia is a bit like swatting a fly - just when you think you’ve got it locked in it suddenly changes.
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The American brand has earned a reputation for building very clever electric cars, but has also developed a habit of adjusting the price on a regular basis to keep sales ticking along. Which means declaring the cheapest Tesla model at any particular moment in time is not a long-term statement.
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At the time of publication, the Model 3 Single Motor remains at $54,900, making it the cheapest Tesla Australia offering.
The rest of the Model 3 range is priced at $64,900 for the Dual Motor and $80,900 for the Model 3 Performance.
The big question is how long will prices stay at this level? Tesla Australia has indicated a Model Y price drop (or multiple price drops, as per the previous model) are unlikely, but with sales in decline around the world including Australia, discounts are a tried and tested method for increasing sales.
If sales continue to slow, don’t be surprised to see price reductions for both the Model 3 and Model Y in a bid to attract buyers and keep supply from its Chinese factory steady.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long talked publicly about wanting lower cost Tesla models and there were reports that a cheaper version of the Model Y could appear in 2025.
However, in April 2025 Reuters reported this plan for a stripped down Model Y variant has now been delayed until 2026, at the earliest.
In fact, Musk has been talking about a cheaper, entry-level Tesla for nearly 20 years, mentioning the Model 2 as long ago as 2006.
However, this US$30K Tesla has never appeared and the brand’s next vehicle is reportedly going to be the Robotaxi (aka Cybercab) that was previewed in 2024.
Exactly how much this will cost remains a mystery but speculation says it will cost less than US$30,000, finally allowing the brand to achieve its long promised ‘affordable’ vehicle; at least in theory.
Because Tesla operates its own sales operations in Australia, there are no independent dealers, there are only two ways to buy - directly from Tesla (for both new and used vehicles) or the used market.
Data from CarsGuide’s own classifieds business shows the number of used Teslas for sale has dramatically increased in recent years as more vehicles hit the second-hand market.
The amount of Model 3s available on CarsGuide.com.au increased 16 per cent from April 2024 to April 2025, while there was a 194 per cent increase in Model Y availability.
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Naturally, the increase in available supply and decrease in demand has an impact on prices, with the cheapest Model 3 advertised on CarsGuide’s used car listings at less than $33K for a 2020 model, while there were multiple 2022 Model Y available for less than $43K.
However, the majority of Model Y RWD variants were listed around the $45K mark with less than 35,000km on the odometer, suggesting that’s where the market has settled for second-hand versions of the SUV.
Similarly, if you’re looking for a 2022 Model 3 with less than 50,000km the market rate appears to be around $40K at the time of publication.
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Interestingly, for those looking for an even cheaper Tesla, the brand’s original sedan, the larger Model S, have now dropped to around the same value as a Model 3.
The cheapest Model S listed on CarsGuide was just $29,332, albeit with more than 135,000km under its wheels. However, there were several sub-$40K examples available with less than 100,000km on the odo, too.
The Model X is less common and values are holding around the high $60K mark, which is less than half its original asking price when it launched in 2017.
As we said at the beginning, though, when it comes to Tesla prices the only constant is the constant uncertainty.
