Tesla raises mid-range Model 3 price to $ 46,000

The early bird gets the worm, and as it turns out, the early bird might have avoided a steep Tesla price hike.

Tesla has raised the price of the mid-range Model 3 by $ 1,000 to $ 46,000, according to the automaker's online configurator. The mid-range Model 3 was only announced, so while the price is small, it came out of left field.

Thankfully, there will be a lot of money in the process. "We made a slight adjustment to our pricing for Model 3 following the introduction of the mid-range battery last week," Tesla spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We will honor the lower pricing for all-in-progress orders."

For that $ 46,000, the mid-range Model 3 offers a long-range battery case with fewer cells inside, dropping its range from 310 miles to 260, which is still super competitive with newer EVs. However, a bit of simultaneous shuffling changed drivetrain options – now, rear-wheel drive is only available with the mid-range 3, while the long-range and all-wheel drive models are available.

Tesla has a big day coming up. Later on Wednesday, Elon Musk CEO Elon Musk said it could pull a profit. We do not know the details yet, but we do not know that Tesla built nearly 54,000 Model 3s in the third quarter, which is equal to the entire company's vehicle output in the second quarter.