Tesla has revolutionized the EV market, designing vehicles that set the standard worldwide. Quick, luxurious, and electrified, Tesla vehicles are synonymous with being the best. And as the 2020 Tesla Model 3 proves yet again, you don’t have to sacrifice performance and affordability for electric range.

Performance and affordability? The 2020 Tesla Model 3 is the best of the best

MotorTrend experts recently compiled a list of the best EVs available in 2020 for under $50,000. And while this list includes affordable brands you’d expect, like Kia and Hyundai, the experts’ No. 1 pick for best EV of the year goes to the most upscale option in the bunch: the 2020 Tesla Model 3.

According to MotorTrend experts, the 2020 Tesla Model is “the apex of affordable, battery-electric vehicles,” offering buyers a standard that is unmatched by other EVs. The Model 3 is high-tech and high-performing, boasting super-quick acceleration and the handling of a sports car, with a generous EV range to boot.

But owners of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 don’t need to spend luxury prices to get the best EV on the market, as the Model 3 comes with a generous base price of around $39,000. And for buyers to own a top model from the brand responsible for “sparking today’s electric vehicle renaissance,” this is a true bargain.

The new version is further proof of Tesla’s domination

The Tesla brand is responsible for popularizing the EV market, proving to consumers and experts alike that environmental-consciousness doesn’t always mean “boring.” For nearly a decade, Tesla has set the standard that all brands aspire to, and its domination of the EV industry can easily be proved by the numbers.

According to data reported from CleanTechnica, Tesla Model 3 sales accounted for 14 percent of all EV sales worldwide in 2019. In fact, the Model 3 sales number of more than 300,000 units is nearly three times the number of the second-best-selling EV in the world.

The Model 3 is unsurprisingly Tesla’s most popular vehicle in its arsenal, selling a total of nearly 368,000 vehicles total in 2019. This means roughly 80 percent of Tesla’s sales in 2019 were Model 3s.

Even with the EV market continuing to grow year after year, Tesla still remains the top EV producer globally. In 2019, Tesla was responsible for 17 percent of the market’s sales – well above the next-closest brand’s (BYD) 10 percent.

And the new 2020 Tesla Model 3 is only accelerating Tesla’s domination. According to experts at The Driven, Tesla sold more EVs than its two next-closest competitors combined in the first quarter of 2020. After the first quarter of 2020, Tesla claimed 29 percent of the global market, thanks mostly to the 2020 Model 3.

What helps the 2020 Tesla Model 3 earn its spot at the top of the segment

Few brands can compete with the features buyers can find in Tesla vehicles. The 2020 Tesla Model 3 comes standard with an industry-leading, 15-inch central touchscreen, with navigation and Bluetooth. All configurations can be fast-charged at any of the brand’s Supercharger stations, adding up to 180 miles in just 15 minutes. At-home charging adds roughly 44 miles per hour.

Base pricing for the Tesla Model 3 starts around $39,000 but also ranges up to around $56,000 across three total trim levels. Base configurations with rear-wheel-drive and the Standard Range Plus Battery have a range of around 250 miles and can get up to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds.

The middle trim with the Long Range Battery comes with all-wheel-drive and can travel with an extended range of around 330 miles. The top Performance trim (also all-wheel-drive) comes with the larger battery pack and can hit 60 miles per hour in an impressive 3.2 seconds.