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.
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.