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Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

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Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#51

I hope Musk is still cool once Tesla is a monopoly. Companies have a tendency to turn on their users/customers once they get giant.

Tesla has gone from being the number 1 BEV manufacturer in Europe to now being number 3. Soon Hyundai will also overtake them in Europe and Tesla will fall back to 4th: https://www.schmidtmatthias.de/post/april-2020-european-elec... So don't worry about Tesla becoming a monopoly. It's not a practical reality.

So combined Volkswagen, Audi, ŠKODA, SEAT and Porsche have outsold Tesla? Doesn't really sound like an achievement, except if you're in charge of mergers and acquisitions.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#52
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good luck! Tesla's are marvels of technology, but the lockdown they have on maintenance and repair -- which includes extremely high costs -- is enough to shy me away until we get a 'right-to-repair' law.

There is hardly any maintenance on them. I had a minor wind noise issue when I first got it that they took care of in a couple hours. Since then, it’s been washer fluid and tires. The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. Then there are the big ones where you probably do want the dealer working on it. Like if some sig…

>The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla.

They're still cars. Give it 10yr and you'll still need all the same suspension and steering related service that every other car needs. Nobody wants to pay a dealer to do something trivial like CV boots or wheel bearings.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#53
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is hardly any maintenance on them. I had a minor wind noise issue when I first got it that they took care of in a couple hours. Since then, it’s been washer fluid and tires. The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. Then there are the big ones where you probably do want the dealer working on it. Like if some sig…

> but they’re going to feel that way no matter what they drive. The difference is that a "random mechanic" is an option with most manufacturers. And it's not with Tesla.

But my point is that most people don’t care. Certainly the ones who buy a Tesla don’t.

This is like arguing that the iPhone is a bad phone because it doesn’t have a removable battery. For some, that’s a real issue. It may have been somewhat controversial in the beginning. These days no one cares because it hasn’t turned out to be a major issue for most.

A bunch of manufacturers find ways to get owners back to the dealership. Sure, Tesla has more lock in than most, but try taking any other electric car to an independent mechanic. Or a high end import.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#54
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla has gone from being the number 1 BEV manufacturer in Europe to now being number 3. Soon Hyundai will also overtake them in Europe and Tesla will fall back to 4th: https://www.schmidtmatthias.de/post/april-2020-european-elec... So don't worry about Tesla becoming a monopoly. It's not a practical reality.

So combined Volkswagen, Audi, ŠKODA, SEAT and Porsche have outsold Tesla? Doesn't really sound like an achievement, except if you're in charge of mergers and acquisitions.

They're all the same company. Volkswagen owns 12 automotive brands:

https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/brands-and-models.html

And Volkswagen will soon be making further investments in Chinese brands:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-investment-chi...

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla has gone from being the number 1 BEV manufacturer in Europe to now being number 3. Soon Hyundai will also overtake them in Europe and Tesla will fall back to 4th: https://www.schmidtmatthias.de/post/april-2020-european-elec... So don't worry about Tesla becoming a monopoly. It's not a practical reality.

Tesla was amazing and unparalleled from about 2012 to 2018. In the U.S., since the Kona/Niro EVs, I-PACE, e-tron, and Taycan have shipped along with the Electrify America rapid charging network, Tesla no longer has a corner on the EV market. A fully-decked-out Model S costs the same as a base Porsche Taycan 4S. I'd challenge anyone to test drive both cars configured at the ~$115k price point and then come back and te…

Cheapest Taycan I could find was $145k. 192 mile range. I'll take the Model S that is faster and nearly double the range at this point.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#57
post #50

In Europe the based model 3 is still €47k. So about $50k. And that's the starting price :( That's an almost 33% higher price than the US version.

Advertised prices in the US do not include any taxes, whereas in Europe they have to account for VAT.

The average rate of VAT in Europe is around 21% - it represents the bulk of the difference in price. The rest you can put down to currency hedging, import duty, and transport to ship the cars from the US.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#58
post #50

In Europe the based model 3 is still €47k. So about $50k. And that's the starting price :( That's an almost 33% higher price than the US version.

I think it's because of

- 10% tax/duty on imported cars from the USA to the EU (1)

- shipping costs from USA to EU

- price are with VAT included in EU (all consumer products), so around 20%

When the cars are made in Berlin (mid/late 2021 if Tesla is to be believed) price will probably go down by a significant amount for EU buyers.

And there will be more non Tesla BEV models in the next few years, another factor for Tesla to lower prices.

Peugeot e-208 seems to have a nice success, and Volkswagen will soon have lots of BEV models.

(1) https://www.carfax.eu/article/customs-clearance-and-import-t...

Disclaimer: I own a Tesla Model 3 SR+ since last september, in France.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think someone did the math and you would need to supercharge 100k mikes to pay 5k. The cash is a better deal for almost all.

It's a convenience and mental thing. I am more likely to go on long tours/holidays with my S knowing it's free (and bragging about it), so the calculation doesn't really work out.

Supercharging just costs a few dollars, and is way cheaper than buying gas. You can still brag about it.

Re: Tesla cuts car prices by up to $5k

#60
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is hardly any maintenance on them. I had a minor wind noise issue when I first got it that they took care of in a couple hours. Since then, it’s been washer fluid and tires. The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. Then there are the big ones where you probably do want the dealer working on it. Like if some sig…

>The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. They're still cars. Give it 10yr and you'll still need all the same suspension and steering related service that every other car needs. Nobody wants to pay a dealer to do something trivial like CV boots or wheel bearings.

True, but I won’t own the car in 10 years so I don’t care. I’m not discounting your point or anyone else’s on merit. What I’m getting at is that it’s a minority position and most people don’t care. How many 10 year old cars do you see out on the road? Yeah, they’re out there, but most of them are a lot newer than that. Most buyers just don’t keep a car long enough for any of this to matter and the ones that do care have 100 other options.
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