Tesla Model 3 pricing blackout
Aussie customers still in the dark over local pricing as Model 3 gets price cut in USCalifornian electric car manufacturer Tesla has today dropped the price of its cheapest EV, the Model 3 mid-sized car, from around $US43,000 ($A60,000) to $US35,000 ($A49,000).
What the US price drop means for hundreds of Aussies who have paid $1500 deposits for the car is not yet known, but it could mean the ledger opens at around $55,000 or $60,000 Down Under, roughly the same price as a new Audi A4.
As more electric cars from mainstream car-makers begin to filter into global markets, Tesla is shifting strategy to offer cheaper cars instead of aiming at premium buyers.
The $US35,000 vehicle in question will be an entry-level Tesla Model 3 with a 350km range and a 210km/h top speed.
Performance from the EV, which uses a Lithium-ion battery pack instead of petrol or diesel fuel, is akin to a high-performance sports sedan such as a previous-generation V8 Holden Commodore. The Model 3 takes 5.7sec to dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint.
Other standard features will include a large touchscreen infotainment system that dominates the interior and glass roof.
An email from the North American EV maker was sent to local media outlets stating that "there are no further updates regarding local pricing and availability of Model 3" for the Australian market.
The email reiterated that the Tesla Model 3 will be available in Australia "around mid-2019".
With around six months to go until right-hand drive versions of the Tesla Model 3 arrive on Aussie terra firma, Australian customers who have been sitting on deposits for more than three years – and prospective customers keen to understand more about the car's value proposition – still have no clarity on what they can expect to pay.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand communications manager, Emily Findlay, declined to comment on any elements of the Model 3's local timing or price point, citing corporate policy. Instead she directed carsales.com.au to a tweet from that Elon Musk from July 2017.
The Tesla CEO tweeted that the Model 3 price will be a direct conversion from US to Aussie dollar, "plus import duties and sales tax".
The GST will add 10 per cent and import duties are now zero percent, after the 5 per cent import tariff with the USA was dropped on January 1, 2018.
By that reckoning, the Tesla Model 3 could be priced from around $55,000. Initial estimates were that the car could cost around $65,000.
The Tesla Model 3 price drop comes about via the company "shifting sales worldwide to online only," which, according to the official Tesla blog post, will drop all vehicle prices – including the Model S and Model X – by six per cent.
The move will result in job losses within Tesla's retail group, however, company CEO Elon Musk stated that the company is unlikely to turn a profit in the first quarter of 2019.
The Tesla share price fell slightly on the news.
"Although lower in cost, it is built to achieve the same perfect five-star safety rating as the longer-ranged version, which has the lowest probability of injury of any car ever tested by the US Government," reads the statement on Tesla’s blog.
As well as the Model S large car, Model X large SUV and Model 3 medium car, Tesla is planning a new SUV dubbed the Model Y, which is due to enter production in 2020.
Elon Musk has also previously floated the idea of an EV ute or pick-up and the brand also has shown a large truck, the Tesla Semi.
The brand plans to open a new factory in Shanghai, China, to increase its Asian production output.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
