*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.
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New laws under consideration in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. could put some sharp limitations on Big Tech. Some of the limits would include how these companies can treat smaller competitors and even restrict their use of artificial intelligence, things like facial recognition. Co-founder and Executive Director at Accountable Tech, Nicole Gill, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new report out on Linkedin says that Crypto-related job postings in the US surged to 395% between 2020 and 2021. Job titles which included titles containing "Bitcoin", "Ethereum", "Blockchain", and cryptocurrency, all outpaced jobs in the wider tech industry which saw a 98% increase in listings during the same time period. LinkedIn also notes that the most common crypto job postings were blockchain developers and engineers. CEO of Radkl, Ryan Sheftel, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Garrett Nelson, Senior Analyst and VP of Equity Research at CFRA Research, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down where automakers like Ford, Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid currently stand at the start of 2022 and what we should expect to transpire in the upcoming year.
