Tesla has picked a new default paint color for the Model 3 and Model Y in North America, replacing the ubiquitous Pearl White Multi-Coat with Midnight Silver Metallic.
While the new standard paint is free, opting for Pearl White Multi-Coat and Deep Blue Metallic costs an additional $1,000, with Solid Black adding $1,500 and Red Multi-Coat adding $2,000 to the starting MSRP.
Tesla's US online configurator includes these changes for the Model 3 and Model Y, but the Model S and Model X continue with the same Pearl White Multi-Coat as the standard body color.
Pearl White Multi-Coat has been Tesla's free color option for the Model 3, Model S, and Model X since June 2019, and for the Model Y since March 2020. Before that, the default color option was Solid Black, which explains why most of the Teslas you see on the road are black or white.
Tesla's decision to choose Midnight Silver Metallic may have something to do with requests from owners of Tesla EVs. As Teslarati points out, in late 2021 an owner going by the Twitter handle @28delayslater asked Elon Musk to change the company's free color option.
Many people replied to the tweet, agreeing with the suggestion that there were too many white Teslas on the road. The Tesla owner also suggested making silver the free color option.
Elon Musk replied to the tweet and said he would discuss the suggestion with the team. One and a half years later, Tesla has made Midnight Silver Metallic the default body color, although it's hard to say whether the company heeded suggestions from the public or had only economic reasons for the move.
Now, it's worth noting that Tesla offers different color options in various regions across the globe. In Europe, Pearl White Multi-Coat remains the default choice, while in China Solid Black is the free color option.
Most notably, for the Model Y made in Berlin, Germany, Tesla offers the Midnight Cherry Red and Quicksilver paint options. These are the most expensive paint colors available on a Tesla, being priced at 3,200 euros ($3,490) and 3,000 euros ($3,270) respectively in Germany.
In the United States, Tesla's most expensive paint option is the Ultra Red available on the Model S and Model X for $3,000.
