$35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now • Hacker News Board

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#91

Post by Pharmakon » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:57 PM UTC

_s wrote: post #46

paxys wrote: post #7

It's so shady that their advertised price includes some hypothetical "potential gas savings", and the actual price is behind a tiny "learn more" link.

Absolutely - I made a comment a few years ago around the Model S pricing when they compared it to a E or S class Mercedes. The base price of a given vehicle is $35k, and then I'd spend either $1500/yr on fuel and maintenance o, or $500/yr on fuel and maintenance if it's - for example - electric, on top the of the base price. Spending $1000 less per year does not magically mean the car is now $34k. If anything, the pr…

People like to abuse and overuse the cliche about “drinking the Kool-Aid,” but this right here is a great example of when it is warranted. This feeling you’re having is the result of not having taken “crazy pills” in the first place; it’s the feeling of looking at a cult from the outside.

To be clear, I like the Model S and appreciate what Tesla has done to popularize EVs in some circles, but that’s not a ticket to be bonkers. Shady practices, obscene waits, hellish repair schedules, broken promises and a CEO who just can’t shut his mouth to save his life... it is very weird.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#92

Post by threeseed » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:57 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #7

It's so shady that their advertised price includes some hypothetical "potential gas savings", and the actual price is behind a tiny "learn more" link.

In many countries e.g. Australia this would be illegal.

It's completely unethical.

I guess computers should be considered free given that they enable so much productivity.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#93

Post by dmitrygr » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:58 PM UTC

Diederich wrote: post #83

dmitrygr wrote: post #80

Actually: $36,200 Tesla charges a non-negotiable $1,200 "Destination & doc fee" which in CA is not a fee . It is not state mandated, and is just pure profit for dealerships that charge it (explaining why the amount varies wildly per-dealership). Google it. It is NOT required anywhere, and all cars I've ever bought, I've gotten the dealership to pay it.

Do the other manufacturers include this in their base price advertisements?

nope, but they also allow me to negotiate. I cannot negotiate with tesla.com

Also, 1.2k is a LOT of fee! Boardwalk and Momentum (two large dealerships here in norcal) both try to charge doc fees around $400, not 1.2 kilodollars!

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#94

Post by gniv » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:58 PM UTC

CydeWeys wrote: post #9

Interesting to point out that the $35k is the full price, which goes down when additional discounts are applied. If you get the short range model with no options, it starts out at $35k, then goes down all the way to $24,950 after including the $3,750 Federal tax credit, $2,000 New York EV rebate (clearly it's geolocating by IP address here), and "$4,300 estimated 6 year gas savings". OK, so that last bit is BS, and i…

> after including the $2,750 Federal tax credit,

Small typo: $3,750

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#95

Post by themagician » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:59 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #7

It's so shady that their advertised price includes some hypothetical "potential gas savings", and the actual price is behind a tiny "learn more" link.

Eh, no more shady than what standard dealerships do when they advertise that it's just $199/mo* and then there's some unusually high acquisition fee or an APR credit offset that applies to MSRP. Or when they offer you a 4yr/50k mile service agreement, but in the fine print it's actually a special dealership version of the service agreement that's essentially a coupon book tied to that dealership offered by some third party and good nowhere else. It's hard to buy a car without getting at least slightly cheated.

The price w/gas savings included at least makes it easier to compare against standard petrol vehicles.

It's kind of hard to rip on Tesla when the standard dealership model is nothing but shady advertising and sleazy sales tactics. They could get rid of the asterisk mark / learn more link and it would still somehow be more honest than going to any car dealership in the United States.

Sometimes I feel like Tesla gets judged in a vacuum. Kinda weird.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#96

Post by TheSpiceIsLife » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 10:59 PM UTC

ekianjo wrote: post #68

martin_bech wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its shady, but its not hypothetical, having owned a Model S for 4 years, I’ve saved a ton on fuel.

If its your first car it makes absolutely no sense.

It makes no sense either way.

CapEx and OpEx are different animals.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#97

Post by bduerst » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 11:00 PM UTC

fengb wrote: post #31

goshx wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experiences with other cars are the opposite. I've seen a lot of advertised prices that are not really what they want to charge you when you make it to the store to purchase.

Funnily enough, the listed MSRP usually much higher than actual dealership price.

Anchoring. It's a negotiation tactic since most purchases are through negotiation.

Also the same with the advertised monthly leasing prices that you see on commercials - all subject to credit and other circumstances.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#98

Post by natch » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 11:01 PM UTC

jmpman wrote: post #75

_ph_ wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it is. For Tesla it means, that they made up to their promise given when introducing the Model 3. Tesla has gotten a lot of critique after the Model 3 deliveries where much later than initially expected and the available versions much more expensive then the promised base price. Offering now a Model 3 for that base price should win them a lot of credibility back. For the consumer it means, that the cheapest Tesl…

It’s not the promise I’d signed up for. When I dropped my $2k reservation, it was for a $35,000 car, including a $7500 government rebate, or net $27500 (plus tax lic etc). Instead of delivering my car in the order the reservation was placed, (in that scenario, I’d get the full $7500 rebate), my reservation was reprioritized for Tesla’s bottom line. Would I have done the same thing in Elon’s shoes, sure, but just beca…

That’s fair, but then it’s not necessarily all about what you want. Part of it is helping invest in accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Personally I’m ok with that. ymmv.

How was your reservation $2k though? It makes me wonder if you are really a reservation holder, given that you got the amount wrong. Fake outrage?

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#99

Post by webninja » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 11:01 PM UTC

pinewurst wrote: post #56

Amused the $35k model is any color you'd like as long as it's black.

:D “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” -Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947)

This was in reference to the Ford Model T which was introduced at $850 in 1908 and was brought down to $300 in 1925.

Re: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

#100

Post by NickM » Thu, Feb 28, 2019, 11:03 PM UTC

scarmig wrote: post #88

martin_bech wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its shady, but its not hypothetical, having owned a Model S for 4 years, I’ve saved a ton on fuel.

By that standard, they should also incorporate an amortized cost of battery replacement in the price.

The vast majority of people buying a Tesla today will never need to replace the battery. The chemistry used in electric vehicle battery packs these days have much better longevity than what you see in most other lithium-ion cells.