The $35K SR is really a very practical car for many people. While it’s nice to have the long range battery most people really don’t need it. Nor do they “need” autopilot or FSD. My friend bought the SR a few months ago and is thrilled with the car. He paid $35K for it and got back $3,750 federal, $2,500 CA and $1,000 from Edison. That brought the effective purchase price of the car before tax and delivery to under $28K. And he got 5,000 free bonus miles.
There is no way he could have bought a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry for any less than that (other than a very stripped down model maybe), and the overall cost of gas and maintenance over five years would easily exceed that of the Tesla. So while we may not talk about the $35K model here very much, it is a very real option for people looking to meet a certain price point but wanting to get into a Tesla EV.
This is really no different than any other auto manufacturer. I could buy a Toyota Corolla for under $20K, but I could easily spend over $50K for a higher end Toyota vehicle. They have price points to meet a variety of needs. I don’t see how Tesla is any different here, other than maybe not serving the $20K and under market.
Personal priorities and spending habits are personal. But numbers are numbers.
A completely stripped out Tesla can be cheaper than a decked out Accord or Camry (barely). But the exceptions do not prove the rule.
The overall average sales price of Teslas for the last Qs are betwen 50-60k USD, already weighted towards the Model 3 at 5:1 ratio.
The average Accord, Camry, or even the average of the Honda Toyota lineup does not approach that number. Objectively, Tesla plays at a different ball class than these main street manufacturers