The price of the base Tesla Model X has been slashed by $3,000 — bringing the price down to “just” $79,500 — going by the pricing listed on the company’s website.
The timing of the move is interesting. With the Tesla Model 3 now officially released (even if it’s going to take years to work through the current backlog), the much higher pricing of the Model X and Model S may appear prohibitive. (The base Model X is still around $5,000 more expensive than the base Model S — both 75D variants. That $5,000 difference has been there since the beginning because of the larger size and extra costs of the Model X.)
Presumably, part of the reason for the price cut is also that increased battery production at the Gigafactory has given Tesla more leeway as regards pricing.
The Verge provides information about other accompanying changes: “Other Model S and Model X variants get more standard features now, too, as top-end P100D models of both cars — with the longest ranges and quickest acceleration — receive a Premium Upgrade Package standard (formerly a $5,000 option.) This means features such as an upgraded audio system, five heated seats, and a ‘medical-grade’ HEPA filtration system are all included in the $140,000 price for the Model S, or $145,000 Model X.
“As generous as this all sounds, the real reason for the equipment changes appears to be reducing the amount of configurations the two cars come in as the general production of the Model 3 starts up. CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday in the quarterly earnings call he was prepared for an incredibly difficult production ramp-up for the new car, learning lessons from last year’s troubled Model X launch that was hobbled by quality issues. This is one reason the first Model 3s out of the factory will have options that will push the price higher than the stated $35,000 starting point.”
While the new Model X 75D pricing will likely hold stable for a while, the eventual release of the crossover Model Y, which is to be built on the Model 3 platform, may well result in more changes.
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