Teslas keep getting more expensive — here's how much each model will set you back in 2022

• Tesla's cars are getting pricier by the day as inflation hits the auto industry.
• The Model S sedan costs $20,000 more than it did a year ago.
• Tesla sells four vehicles — the Model S, 3, X, and Y — which cost $47,000 to $139,000.

Most car companies raise their prices with each new model year but keep pricing consistent otherwise. Tesla isn't like most car companies.

For ages, the electric carmaker has regularly raised and lowered its prices to drive demand or account for rising costs. That's the beauty of selling cars direct-to-consumer and not through traditional dealers, who ultimately set their own prices.

Sometimes Musk has fiddled with prices just for laughs. Like when he cut the Model S sedan's starting price to $69,420 to troll rival startup Lucid Motors.

Lately, like everything from gasoline to beef, prices for Tesla's cars have trended sharply upward as the company has complained about increasing materials costs and supply-chain issues.

A Model 3 sedan, Tesla's lowest-priced offering, now costs $10,000 more than it did in early 2020. Over the last 18 months or so, the cost of a Model S has surged from a knee-slapping $69,420 to a not-funny-at-all $104,990.

Options vary from model to model, but any Tesla can be optioned with the $12,000 Full Self-Driving driver-assistance package, which doesn't make cars autonomous.

Model S

Launched in 2012, the Model S sedan is Tesla's longest-running model. The luxury four-door got an overhaul at the top of 2021, which included a controversial new steering yoke.

• Model S: For $104,990, the base Model S delivers an estimated range of 405 miles and a blistering 0-60-mph time of 3.1 seconds.
• Model S Plaid: The $135,990 Model S Plaid, whose name is a reference to the movie "Space Balls," travels 396 miles on a charge, hits a top speed of 200 mph, and sprints to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds, Tesla says. It's propelled by three motors good for more than 1,000 horsepower.

A paint color other than white will run you $1,500 to $2,500, 21-inch wheels cost $4,500, and a white or off-white interior costs $2,000.

Model 3

With the debut of the Model 3 in 2017, Tesla introduced a more affordable vehicle than the Model S or Model X that came before it. But it never managed to sell the Model 3 widely at its promised $35,000 price point.

• Model 3: The $46,990 base Model 3 gets an estimated range of 272 miles and accelerates to 60 mph in a perky 5.8 seconds. It's the only Tesla that's rear-wheel drive, rather than all-wheel drive.
• Model 3 Long Range: The $57,990 Long Range model has an EPA-estimated range of 358 miles
• Model 3 Performance: For $69,990, the sporty Model 3 Performance delivers a 315-mile range, a top speed of 162 mph, and a 0-60-mph time of 3.1 seconds. It also has a lowered suspension, better brakes, and 20-inch wheels as standard.

A paint color other than white will set you back $1,000 to $2,000, 19-inch rims cost $1,500, and a white interior — as opposed to the standard black — costs a $1,000 premium.

Model X

The Model X SUV is Tesla's second-oldest model behind the Model S. It hit the market in 2015.

• Model X: For $120,990, the dual-motor Model X delivers 351 miles of estimated range.
• Model X Plaid: The $138,990 Plaid version steps things up with three motors that Tesla says put out 1,020 horsepower. It promises to travel 333 miles between charges and rocket to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.

A white paint job comes standard, while black, silver, blue, or red will run you $1,500 to $2,500. Five seats come standard, and a six-seat or seven-seat layout costs $6,500 and $3,500, respectively.

A white or cream interior costs $2,000, while bigger rims go for $5,500.

Model Y

Starting deliveries in early 2020, the Model Y compact SUV is Tesla's newest vehicle. It's based on the same platform as the Model 3, but has more cargo capacity and rides higher.

• Model Y Long Range: The $65,990 base model has an EPA-estimated range of 330 miles and makes the sprint to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
• Model Y Performance: The sportier option costs $69,990, and although it gets a lower range of 303 miles, it makes up for it in performance upgrades. The crossover accelerates to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, has a higher top speed, and comes with bigger wheels, better brakes, and a lowered suspension.

Buyers can shell out an extra $1,000 for a tow hitch, $1,000 for a white interior, and $3,000 for third-row seating. A non-white paint job costs $1,000 to $2,000, while bigger rims command $2,000.