One of the most persistent incorrect assumptions about electric vehicles is that they’re less convenient than gasmobiles. Actually, as long as you buy a decent modern electric car, “fueling up” will be more convenient in many — if not most — cases. As usual, your own personal details matter. There is no single answer for everyone, but there are a handful of truisms that are the building blocks of each personal story.
Recently, we found out the German Tesla website introduced business leasing for the Model 3. Here is an example from the Tesla site. Congrats for those of you wanting a business lease in Germany!
John Rougeux recently ordered and took delivery of a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range with 570 miles on the odometer. He was charged $35,400 (there was a $400 price increase recently), but he got $1,250 off since the car had 570 miles.
For this piece, I will use the information on Tesla’s website to determine if paying cash, taking a loan, or leasing is the best option if you want a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus (SR+). The twist here is I did these calculations for Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, China, and the UK. These were some of the most popular markets for Tesla in Q1 2019. I added in the UK, since it has been suffering for 3 years and deserves some attention.
I recently published some cost comparisons between the Tesla Model 3 and various Honda Accord trims. As I implied at the time, these models shouldn’t even be in the same discussion since the Model 3 is a much better vehicle (safer, quicker, more advanced tech, better handling), but the fact is that they do compare when it comes to 5 year cost of ownership. However, when I published the previous comparisons, I didn’t include the cost of interest if you took out an auto loan to finance the purchase.
I’ve got another report here comparing the Tesla Model 3 to a top selling car in the USA.The Model 3 was the 5th best selling car in the USA in the second half of 2018, the 11th best in all of 2018, and the 13th best in the first quarter of 2019. The Toyota Camry was the top selling car in the USA in 2018 and has long been at or near the top of the list.
By all accounts, Teslas are technological marvels, safe, dependable, and fun to drive. But cheap? Well, there’s no question that an EV will save you money on fuel and maintenance compared to a legacy vehicle. And a Tesla isn’t a particularly expensive vehicle if your alternative is a BMW, a Mercedes, or an Audi, the brands to which the Californian EV is usually compared.
I haven’t seen an announcement, but noticed on Twitter people talking about a $399 per month lease on a Tesla Model 3! Comparing the old deal to the new deal, the down payment required has gone up by $1,500, from $3,000 to $4,500, but the monthly payment has gone down from $504 a month to $399 a month. That more than makes up for the higher down payment — $105 times 36 months is $3,780, and subtracting the $1,500 increase in down payment brings you to $2,280 in savings).
The prices shown here are subject to change, so if you’re in the market for a Model 3, this handy guide can help — but it’s always important to check directly with Tesla for the latest updates.
I just got to season 2 of Game of Thrones. If you are not a fan, no worries, there is only one small reference to GoT at the very end.
