Author: Zach Wichter / Source: New York Times
Tesla
When Tesla said on Thursday night that the most basic, $35,000 version of its Model 3 would no longer be offered online, my colleagues and I were confused.
Isn’t a Silicon Valley company supposed to be all about the internet? Why do I need to use a phone or, worse, go to one of Tesla’s showrooms and interact with a sales representative in real life to order a high-tech car?
I wanted to try the process for myself to see if Tesla’s new policy made things unnecessarily complicated.
Though I stopped short of placing an order, it turned out to be quite easy to walk through the purchase process for a Model 3, both online and over the phone.
Despite some conflicting information, my phone conversations with people at three Tesla stores in the New York area about buying a Model 3 were efficient and matter-of-fact. Online, it took me less than two minutes to select a car and reach the credit card information page.
But you can’t necessarily get the version you’re after, even from a store. And I did learn a few things any potential Tesla buyer should know.
What am I actually paying?
Now that Tesla isn’t selling the bare-bones Model 3 online, the least expensive car you can buy on its website goes for $39,500.
But Tesla lists the car’s price as $28,950. That figure is later described as “after savings,” and the company even displays the per-month cost of a lease in those terms.
As it turns out, Tesla is using some creative math to get to that number. Savings include a $3,750 tax credit currently available…
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