*By Carlo Versano*
Tesla CEO Elon Musk [tweeted](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1053060766771761152) Thursday night that a long-awaited cheaper version of the Model 3 is now on sale.
According to the re-launched Model 3 [website](https://3.tesla.com/model3/design?#battery), the sticker for the new variant ー which has a "mid-range" battery that can go 260 miles between charges ー will be $45,000. But Musk said the cost is closer to $35,000 "after federal & state tax rebates in California."
He added: "But true cost of ownership is closer to $31k after gas savings."
The surprise announcement came as Musk seeks to right the ship at Tesla after a string of controversies and high-level departures. Most recently, Tesla's manufacturing VP stepped down, following resignations from its HR, supply chain, and accounting chiefs, among others . Musk has also agreed to relieve himself of his chairman role in a settlement with the SEC over accusations he manipulated the company's stock price with his tweets about taking it private over the summer.
But the company has been firing on all cylinders in terms of production, having built 53,000 Model 3s in its last reported quarter. Those vehicles were priced higher and came with a longer-range battery.
Mike Dooley, Co-founder and CEO of Labrador Systems, joins Cheddar News to discuss the company's 'Labrador Retriever' personal robot, aiming to support caregivers and help people with health issues live independently.
Volkswagen U.S. CEO Pablo Di Si joined Cheddar New to discuss record quarterly electric vehicle sales and his reaction to Tesla trimming prices on some vehicles by 20% last week. “We'll continue with our pricing strategy, we're not cutting prices on the vehicle's quality over quantity and product content,” he said.
Microsoft is cutting 10,000 workers, almost 5% of its workforce, in response to what it described as “macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities.”
