So I just noticed the big price drop. Yes, I already charge to 100% every day. What are your thoughts on this? Is it worth it? Or keep waiting for it to drop more?
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You are absolutely correct. Keep in mind though that that those last few miles to get to 100% charge take forever to charge, so you can just drive a little slower and achieve similar effect (spend time driving longer vs. charging longer). For me, I'd spend $500 for this upgrade as a splurge, knowing that I am probably never going to use it but would like to have it. For $2K I'd rather splurge on something else. So, I'm not sure whether I should be happy or sad that it's not $500, because if it was, I would be $500 poorer.I was tempted to as well.
You're still getting more range. 75D is rated for 259mi, @ 90% that's 233mi. My 60D charge to 100% is only 218 mi. The extra 15mi might not be all that much in day to day, but the extra 41 mi can be a huge difference on the long trips.
I am not sure I follow. Why not just keep the 75 at higher price until the pipeline clears, or offer a special deal for those in the pipeline (like the Ludicrous upgrade that was offered to P85D owners, but since it's software only, why not)? I think it's more likely Tesla realized the conversion rate on the upgrade is very low, so lower the price to increase the take rate and maximize the profit - basic economics. 1000 updates at $2000 is more profit than 50 at $5000. I wouldn't be surprised the price would drop even further in the future, like other software products (since 60->75 is just a software option). Start high, get a wave of people. Once that waves dries out, lower the price, get another wave. Repeat until you've milked all the profit from it. The only reason not to do that is to try avoid upsetting previous customers, but if they are willing to go from $9K to $2K, that is probably not a consideration at this point. Also, nobody is gaming(software) complains about the game costing $20 while 2 years before it was $70. By removing the 60 as an option for new orders, this leaves a fixed number of possible customers for the upgrade, so it actually makes more sense to use the gradual price lowering strategy to max out profit from this as it doesn't affect any new sales. Raising the price just means nobody else would buy it (if they didn't buy at $2K, why would they buy it at $6,500?). I know this may upset some people, but welcome to software marketing.Actually, I would not be surprised to see this upgrade cost go back up to $6,500 or something once all the 60 kWh cars have been delivered.
This is clearly to make sure 60/60D orders in the pipeline don't get cancelled as the 75/75D price was lowered.
@whitex I know I was speculating and that speculation may be wrong.
However, the logic was this:
Lowering 75/75D price makes sense for Tesla to keep selling a certain volume once 60/60D is retired, prior to Model 3 ramp-up. And lowering the 60/60D upgrade price is important as long as there are 60 kWh models in the order backlog to be delivered, so as to not get delivery refusals.
But once all those 60 kWh models have been delivered, old non-upgraders become a far less interesting audience to Tesla for whom new car deliveries are the metric they care about. Everything is about protecting those quarterly delivery figures.
My speculation is the upgrade price may well just follow whatever is the current delta between old 60 price and current 75. If 75 goes up in price, e.g. after Model 3 AWD, perhaps the upgrade could too?
Valid points. Only time will tell.@whitex All very good points. I don't disagree and have no strong feelings about this.
Just some musings:
2) Lowering the 60 upgrade price for all seems like the easiest way to get 60 orderers to accept delivery. They get the option to upgrade and a sense they can do it later too... hence they won't be in such a rush to cancel.
3) Getting rid of the 60 model may feel necessary so that no version of Model S is "lesser" than Model 3 once the latter launches with a battery option larger than 60. This way by Q3 mostly just 75+ Model S's are left to be sold...
@whitex All very good points. I don't disagree and have no strong feelings about this.
Just some musings:
2) Lowering the 60 upgrade price for all seems like the easiest way to get 60 orderers to accept delivery. They get the option to upgrade and a sense they can do it later too... hence they won't be in such a rush to cancel.
3) Getting rid of the 60 model may feel necessary so that no version of Model S is "lesser" than Model 3 once the latter launches with a battery option larger than 60. This way by Q3 mostly just 75+ Model S's are left to be sold...