Image: Tesla
Tesla has quietly made South Korea home to the cheapest Model 3 in the world.
Tesla Korea has officially launched the Model 3 Standard, priced at 41,990,000 won (about $28,000 USD), according to longtime Tesla watcher @Tslachan. With local EV subsidies applied, the price drops even further — allowing some buyers to get into a brand-new Model 3 for roughly $25,000, an aggressive figure that undercuts every other market globally.
The newly launched Model 3 Standard is manufactured at Gigafactory Shanghai and shipped directly to South Korea. That’s notable, as this specific variant is not yet officially available in China itself, despite Tesla already selling four different Model 3 trims in the Chinese market. A domestic China launch now appears increasingly likely.
In terms of specs, the Korean-market Model 3 Standard offers a range of 382 km (237 miles), a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph), and a 0–100 km/h time of 6.2 seconds. It’s positioned as a Rear-Wheel Drive entry model focused on affordability rather than outright performance, but it still delivers the minimalist design, software-first approach, and over-the-air updates Tesla is known for.
Image: Tesla
At the same time, Tesla Korea has also introduced the Model 3 Long Range RWD, giving buyers a higher-range option without stepping up to All-Wheel Drive. This dual launch mirrors Tesla’s broader strategy of expanding lower-cost trims globally to drive volume and defend market share as competition heats up.
For comparison, the Model 3 Standard began deliveries in the U.S. late last year at $36,990 USD —nearly $9,000 more than the Korean price before subsidies. That massive delta underscores just how aggressively Tesla is pricing vehicles in South Korea.
The move comes as Tesla continues to see strong momentum in the country. The automaker posted record-breaking sales last summer, launched the Cybertruck locally, and even rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised), making South Korea only the seventh country globally to get the system.
With ultra-competitive pricing, Shanghai-built supply, and growing software features, South Korea is quickly becoming one of Tesla’s most strategically important markets in Asia.
