Tesla is struggling with declining sales worldwide. The EV manufacturer of the first hour is being passed left and right by the competition in many countries. This mainly comes from new brands from China, but EVs from traditional car brands, such as Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Peugeot, are also becoming increasingly popular. In an effort to get more potential EV buyers back into a Tesla, the manufacturer has significantly reduced the prices of a number of models.
Model 3 now ‘within’ SEPP subsidy
In the Netherlands, Tesla has significantly lowered the prices of the Model 3 and Model Y. You now pay 44,990 euros for the entry-level model of the Model 3. A price reduction of 7,000 euros. This also means that this EV is now eligible for the government’s SEPP subsidy scheme. Then another 2,950 euros will be deducted from the price. It does not matter whether you buy or lease the EV.
The pot of the SEPP subsidy is limited. In recent years, all subsidies had already been distributed within a few months after the government filled that pot (on 1 January). So you have to be quick. In any case, the fact that the Model 3 (the entry-level model) falls within that scheme will certainly have a positive effect on sales. Last year, 824 Model 3s were sold in the Netherlands. More than 1,700 less than in 2021.
Model Y 12,000 euros cheaper
The price reduction of the Model Y is even more substantial at 12,000 euros. Of course, that is also a more expensive EV. The entry-level model, with 455 kilometers of range, now costs 46,990 euros. That saves only 2,000 euros with the cheaper Model 3. Unfortunately, the new price of the Model Y is still above the limit of the SEPP subsidy. It is set at 45,000 euros.
The Long Range and Performance versions of the Model Y now cost 53,990 and 63,990 euros respectively. For the comparable versions of the Model 3, that has now become 52,990 and 59,990 euros.
Tesla Netherlands saved 2022 in December
Incidentally, with us, Tesla is still little affected by the declining sales figures. In 2022, more than 4,800 new Teslas were sold here. That was more than 700 more than the year before.
The Model Y was the best-selling Tesla in the Netherlands. Almost 3,900 of these were sold, of which 2,298 in December alone. This more than made up for the disappointing sales figures of the first eleven months, especially due to the less well-selling Model 3.
Sour for anyone who just bought a Model 3 or Y
Incidentally, not all Tesla drivers are happy with the huge price drops in China, the US and Europe. For those who have bought a new Model 3 or Model Y in recent weeks or months, it is sour. Some of them feel a bit cheated.
Well, that’s been the case with tech gadgets for years. Just when you have bought that new TV, you see it somewhere a week later for a few hundred euros less. Ok, that’s not quite the same as finding out you could have saved $12,000 by waiting a few weeks before buying that new Model Y, but still.
