Tesla raised prices several times in 2022, but buyers hoping for better days could pay off. The automaker is offering free charging to anyone who picks up the goods between December 21 and 31, and those who buy a car sample 3 and Model Y get an extra $7,500 “credit”.
Tesla’s website makes it extremely difficult to find custom configuration options, requiring buyers to sort through existing inventory before the link can be found. That might be for the best because it’s the surest way to take advantage of Tesla’s offer. Lead times for some of its models have dragged on for months, though Model 3 times have tightened significantly and all configurations are available for pre-year-end shipping.
Discounts on Tesla models extended throughout North America, as Canadian and Mexican buyers saw similar messages when visiting the site. The automaker is offering CAD 5,000 to Canadians and MXN 73,750 to Mexicans. Both get 10,000 miles of Supercharges for free. Those discounts greatly reduce the financial impact of buying a new Tesla but don’t erase the price spikes seen over the past year.
In early 2021, the Model 3 Standard Range model could cost around $37,000. That price starts to climb and ends in 2021 at around $45,000. The rear-wheel drive Standard Range Model 3 starts at $46,990 today, and that’s before picking one color other than white or silver or add Autopilot for $6,000 or by car manufacturer “Full Self-Driving” function for $15,000.
Tesla vehicles are not currently eligible for the federal tax credit, but that will change in January, which could dampen demand until the rules change. The $7,500 rebate offer will now effectively balance the price of a new Model 3 or Model Y before and after the tax credit rule change. (The Model WILL and X will not be eligible because they exceed the price limit of the tax credit.) The automaker’s vehicles are not eligible for the tax credit after crossing the previous program’s 200,000-unit threshold. However, that will change on January 1and Models 3 and Y will be eligible for the $7,500 tax credit again for a while, at least while the Treasury Department issues guidance on the new law’s raw material sourcing requirements.
