Tesla is definitely known for its constant shuffling of price and options. Well strap in and get your notebooks ready, because Tesla has done it again. Options have been removed or become standard, and prices have increased (a little though, so don’t worry too much).
A few weeks ago Elon had tweeted out that there would be a reduction of the interior options offered for the Model S/X. Well surprise, surprise it was a bit more than some interior changes.
According to internal communications received by Electrek, Tesla had made the changes to “to simplify the product offerings and provide the best experience for customers.”
The most noticeable of these changes is a small price change to the Model S/X.
- Model S 75D now starts at $78,000 (up $1,000 from $77,000)
- Model X 75D now starts at $84,000 (up $1,000 from $83,000)
- Model S 100D now starts at $96,000 (down $500 from $96,500)
- Model X 100D now starts at $99,000 (down $500 from $99,500)
So while the 75D variants went up by $1,000, the 100D versions actually got $500 cheaper.
The European market however was not as lucky as the 75D versions increased by 1,500 Euros and the 100D versions of the Model S/X remain the same.
So what is the cause of the price increase?
- Well the all Black Premium interior is now the standard interior for the vehicles (previously a $3,300 option).
- The price of the Black and White Premium as well as Cream Premium have also dropped in price to $1,500 from $3,300.
- The previously available Black Textile is gone from the configurator, but can apparently still be ordered off menu.
So that was the interior changes that Elon wrote about. So what else did Tesla do?
In terms of Model S changes they have done the following:
- No more Rare-facing Child Seats, go buy a Model X I guess
- 21″ Black Arachnid Wheels are gone as well, but can still be bought aftermarket
- Only glass roofs from now on, no more Panoramic Sunroof. (Also means no roof rack connections as well)
- 72 amp on-board charger: now only available in single phase markets. Other markets will only have the 48 amp charger
- Carbon fiber spoiler is no standard on all Model S P100Ds
As for the Model X, it’s a much shorter list:
- The 6-seat with center console configuration has been discontinued.
- 72 amp on-board charger: now only available in single phase markets. Other markets will only have the 48 amp charger.
Overall this might be a step backwards for Tesla. The slight increase in price to the Model S/X shouldn’t turn off most buyers that were going to buy it anyway. And its easy to rationalize the price increase by saying to yourself that you are getting the “premium interior”.
However, Tesla already was lacking in options compared to its upcoming challengers. On look at the Jaguar I-Pace configurator and you can see for yourself. So it might seem like the wrong time to FURTHER cut down on the options with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz coming up on the horizon.
Admittedly this change probably won’t lose Tesla many customers. However to say simplifying the options is for the customers sake is wrong. We know this was done so that Tesla could churn out more Model S/X. However I never have heard that Tesla wants to produce even more of those Models, so once again it seems a little strange.
What do you guys think? Do you think some customers will be swayed by the more options offered by Tesla’s competitors? Let us know down in the comments below.
Source: Electrek