Key Points
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Tesla added "standard" trims for Model 3 and Model Y, shipping with hardware that supports its supervised self-driving capabilities.
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Having more vehicles on the road with self-driving capabilities will enhance the company's rollout of its autonomous ride-sharing service.
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These more affordable vehicle models come at an ideal time for the company.
After a tough first half of 2025, Tesla(NASDAQ: TSLA) is back in the spotlight. The company recently posted record third-quarter deliveries, and this week it unveiled "Standard" versions of the Model 3 and Model Y.
The electric-vehicle maker's timely launch of models priced below $40,000 may not only help sales trends in the near term, but it will also put more vehicles with self-driving technology on the road. This is important because Tesla is currently piloting an autonomous ride-sharing service called Robotaxi, which the company will eventually allow customers to deploy their self-driving-equipped cars into the fleet as part of a revenue-sharing program. In other words, these cheaper models -- assuming they help the company sell more vehicles -- are ultimately expanding the reach of the company's future Robotaxi service.
