Tesla is now selling a cheaper Model 3 with a 260-mile battery starting at $45,000

Tesla has announced a new mid-range version of the Model 3, one that’s cheaper than the long-range version that Tesla’s exclusively sold up until this point. It’s still not the $35,000 base model that’s been delayed until 2019. But the new mid-level option offers 260 miles of range and starts at $45,000.The new option, which CEO Elon Musk tweeted about this afternoon, is built with the same battery back as the 310-mile long-range Model 3, but uses fewer cells, which acco