The 40kWh version of the Tesla Model S is being dropped by Tesla in the US, but we do wonder if Tesla ever had any intention of delivering it in the first place.
Tesla’s big claim ahead of the arrival of the, very impressive, Model S – and a seemingly vital part of the US taxpayer funding Tesla to develop the Model S – was that they would deliver a car that cost under $50k, something the car industry thought impossible.
But when the Model S was launched, Tesla did indeed have an entry-level model available with a 4okWh battery that was listed at $58,750 (taking it almost down to the $50k mark after the US taxpayer chipped in the EV bribe) so Elon Musk could, quite reasonably, claim Tesla had delivered.
But the ‘$50k Model S’ always seemed like a sop to circumstances in the States, and in Europe Tesla declared that the entry-level Model S would be the 60kWh battery version with starting prices at €72,600 (about £61k) rising to €101,400 (about £85k) for the 85kWh Limited Edition Model S. All proper ‘Premium’ prices.
Now, blaming a ‘lack of demand’ Tesla is also dropping the entry-level Model S in the States saying that just 4 per cent of buyers had opted for the 40kWh version (none of which have been built or delivered).
It does seem as though Tesla simply created the illusion of a ‘cheap’ entry-level Tesla with no intention of actually building or selling it, and the argument that the Model S is just a toy for comfortably of businessmen to get a tax break now seems to be justified.
Tesla are also claiming they are now in profit after delivering 250 more Model S in the first quarter than planned (not too sure how that works with the huge debt mountain they have), and ‘dropping’ the Model S that never existed should help increase that profit going forward.
Of course, if you actually want a Tesla Model S with the 40kWh battery then all you need do is buy the 60kWh version and wait for the batteries to lose their capacity to hold a charge over time.
Simple.
Tramp12 says
What a shock. The next shock will be prices of the rest of the range moving quickly upwards so the starting point by the time the Model S arrives in the UK will probably be the wrong side of £70,000.
So much for an affordable family car.