The changes went live on Tesla’s website tonight, and only seem to affect the Model Y, Tesla’s most popular vehicle. However, in contrast to the massive price cuts of up to $13K, the Model Y has been bumped in price by just $500.
This brings it to a base price of $53,490, as opposed to $52,990 prior to this bump. The Model 3, X, and S all maintain the same post-cut prices as before.
The recent price cuts came after weeks of signals from Tesla that demand might not have been keeping up supply, with Tesla offering discounts and incentives in various regions as inventory started to pile up. Tesla had hiked prices significantly over the course of 2021-2022 as EV demand far outstripped supply, and had little trouble selling out of vehicles until the end of the year.
We here at Electrek noted that the result of these massive cuts could lead to an EV price war, which Tesla seems poised to do well in. Though this will cut into Tesla’s high margins, its margins are higher than other companies in the space, which gives it leeway to cut prices when supply gets to the point that it can keep up with demand.
And in the weeks since that price drop, Tesla has seen “unprecedented demand” on these vehicles. Not only was the Model Y price dropped by $13K, but this also put it into range to qualify for the US EV tax credit, meaning a $20K price drop for many customers, as long as they take delivery before March when tax credits are expected to change once again.
Notably, today’s price bump does again make a difference for EV tax credit eligibility. At the previous base MSRP of $52,990, up to $2,000 in options could be added before the 5-seat Model Y reached the government’s $55,000 MSRP limit to be eligible for tax credits. This meant that buyers could choose any paint color (which cost up to $2,000) or could choose the $2,000 20-inch wheels and just skate in under the limit.
Now, adding the most-expensive red multi-coat paint color or the 20-inch wheel option take the MSRP above $55,000, which means Model Ys with those options will not qualify. At this point, the only options a 5-seat Model Y can choose to still qualify for tax credits are silver, blue, or black paint or a tow hitch (though the hitch can be added after purchase, which we’d recommend if you’re getting any other options).
Tesla also made another change tonight – it now quotes the actual MSRP of the vehicle upfront, instead of including “potential savings” from gas and incentives:
Tesla has gone back and forth on this over the years. The previous method has been criticized for being potentially misleading, quoting a price far lower than a customer would pay. But Tesla, somewhat correctly, argues that it’s a more realistic comparison in terms of lifecycle vehicle costs. Tesla does offer a calculator so you can figure out your own gas savings based on annual vehicle miles, electricity rate, and gasoline costs, but would previously include average estimates of those upfront, while now they’re behind a “learn more” link:
Electrek’s Take
We’ve received a lot of angry emails recently from Model Y buyers about the price cut, feeling aggrieved that they purchased a vehicle that they could have gotten for cheaper had they just waited a little longer.
But, such is the case with purchases – sometimes the price changes, and sometimes you don’t get the best price. C’est la vie.
That said, this price change was sudden and massive, so the complaints are more reasonable this time around. Usually pricing doesn’t change so much so quickly, and usually those price changes aren’t done by a company that has repeatedly stated that “the price is the price” and that it wants to buck the dealership model and stick with transparent, predictable pricing.
Price bumps like these are a little more reasonable, as a 1% difference in price of a vehicle isn’t going to break most people’s bank. But it still violates Tesla’s “we don’t want to jerk prices around like a dealership” model, given that this happened just under two weeks after a huge price cut. There was one point long ago where it was easy to keep up with Tesla pricing, but that hasn’t been the case for a while now.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
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After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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Segway’s feature-packed E3 Pro electric scooter with Apple Find My hits new $500 Black Friday low (Save $200)
Segway’s Black Friday Sale is in full gear and currently seeing hundreds in savings and plenty of returning and new low prices on its e-scooters and e-bikes. One such standout is Segway’s latest E3 Pro Electric Scooter down at $499.99 shipped, and which seems to have disappeared from Amazon’s marketplace. Carrying a $700 MSRP since launching back at the top of October, we’ve only seen this model given $100 price cuts in its launch deal and the brand’s Halloween and early Black Friday sales. Now, with things having ramped up with increased savings now that Black Friday is in full swing, you can score a larger-than-ever $200 markdown to a new all-time low price, giving you an advanced upgrade to your commute that I have been loving so far since getting one a short time ago.
I’ve been riding around Brooklyn for a short time now with my own Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter and have been loving my experience so far, as it’s a MAJOR step up from the very basic E22 model I’ve had for short travels since 2020. While power has been significantly ramped up from its E2 Pro predecessor, this new generation still retains a fairly lightweight 40-pound design, which I am able (as a not-so-strong person) to carry easily with one hand/arm up and down my second-story stoop.
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Segway’s E3 Pro comes bearing a 400W motor (with 800W peaking) alongside a 368Wh battery, the combination of which delivers up to 34 miles of commuting support for your travels at up to 20 MPH speeds. The regenerative brake paired with the brand’s SegRange Optimization tech really lends towards the extended travel times here, with safety taken into mind with the SegRide stability enhancement tech, the latest traction control system, turn signaling, RGB ambient lighting for nighttime journeys, and a bright headlight. What’s more, security is bolstered by the Apple Find My inclusion for those worried about tracking it down should theft (or forgetfulness) occur.
One thing I have really been enjoying, especially when riding over more pot-hole lined streets, is Segway’s E3 Pro’s dual elastomer suspension, which does a great job of smoothing out overall rides, while providing added cushioning when sudden, jolting sections of the road (or debris/trash) are driven over. Along with all those, there are also additional features, including the previously mentioned rear electronic regen brake getting a companion front drum brake, as well as 10-inch self-sealing jelly tires, an IPX5 water-resistant build, a 265-pound total payload, and a 3-inch full-color LED screen for setting adjustments.
Score up to 47% Black Friday savings on NIU EVs, like the 2025 KQi 200F e-scooter at its $529 low (Reg. $799), more from $279
NIU’s Black Friday EV Sale is in full motion now, taking up to 47% off its lineup of e-scooters and e-bikes, like the KQi 200F Foldable Handlebar Electric Scooter for $529 shipped, which you can currently only find in a used condition at Amazon. This is one of the brand’s newer 2025 models that fetches $799 at full price, which dipped down to this rate for the first time earlier in the month before these Black Friday savings. Now, you’re getting another shot at this all-time low price with $270 savings, giving you a solid commuter that sits among the mid-range models from NIU.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
Tesla’s much-awaited entry into the Indian market has resulted in very slow sales to start, but it may not all be bad.
We’ve covered the years-long effort of Tesla to enter the Indian auto market. There have been a lot of intentions and fits and starts, but due to protectionist schemes in the country it never made a lot of sense for Tesla to enter.
That changed this year in March, when India waived EV import duties, allowing foreign firms to bring their cars in for sale. While India does have some strong local brands in Mahindra and Tata, this opened the gates to Chinese, German, Korean and American brands – namely, Tesla.
So far, other American companies have declined to bring their EVs to India, but Tesla opened its first showroom in Mumbai, India’s most populous city and financial capital, in July of this year. It opened a larger “Tesla Center” showroom in Gurugram, outside Delhi, this week.
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So, Tesla is only getting started in India, but by all measures it has been an exceedingly slow start, according to the BBC.
Dealership data shows that Tesla has only sold “just over” 100 cars in India since July, an exceedingly low number by any measure – especially when considering the India is now the most populous country in the world, with a population of just under 1.5 billion.
The numbers look a little less bad when comparing against EV sales in the country. While India has sold an impressive 2 million electric vehicles this year, the vast majority of them have been electric scooters.
Electric passenger cars are a much lower share at around 160k total unit sales this year so far, making up only around 3% of the passenger car market. And the majority of those are lower-cost domestic brands Mahindra and Tata or a growing section of Chinese challengers, with very few sales from overseas luxury brands.
Tesla could be included in that “luxury brand” list, largely due to the price of its imported vehicles. While the Model Y starts at $40k in the US, that price rises to 5,989,000 Rupees in India (~$67k USD). This is simply an unaffordable price for the vast majority of Indians – indeed, only around 1% of India’s auto sales are in the “luxury” category.
Further, EV infrastructure is not very well developed in the country. Tesla has one Supercharger in India, and two listed as “coming soon” in the Gurugram area. There are thousands of other charging points across India (and of course, drivers can charge overnight at home), but the number is still relatively low compared to the country’s population.
Meanwhile, other brands’ EV sales are growing well in India. The auto market as a whole has grown by about 13% this year in the developing country, but EV car sales have grown by 57% in the same period, rapidly outpacing the auto industry as a whole.
Much of that sales growth has been driven by Chinese EVs, which make up around a third of the market. That’s around ~60k Chinese EVs sold this year in India.
Even luxury German EVs from Mercedes, BMW and Audi have sold around 4,000 units so far this year, not a large number, but certainly dwarfing Tesla’s.
So while it’s tempting to look at Tesla’s poor numbers and make excuses about the size of the EV market, ability of Indians to afford luxury vehicles, or state of India’s charging network, it’s hard to compare that low ~100 sales number at any of the competition and label it as anything other than an extremely poor showing.
But, you do have to start somewhere, and the company is only a few months in. So we’ll have to see where it goes from here – though with the sales we’ve seen so far in Mumbai, entering the Delhi market is unlikely to forestall Tesla’s current global sales decline.
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