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Buy Model 3 Standard Range Plus now or wait for LFP and tax credit?

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Given that you have no idea or control over future pricing - tax credits, price increases, excess demands.
And you have no idea or control over battery - car may or may net battery which may or may not be in capacity or performance level as expected.

No matter when you get it, there will be more improvements coming every 3-9 months, that will make it obsolete.

So stop playing the "what if" game, and just get the car when you need / want the car.
 
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my TL
Buy now - chip shortage, price certainly going higher if you look at both used and new car market. Prices are already up about 2k for Tesla if you have been waiting, won’t be surprised if it goes more higher by 3-4K. Going by Elon’s tweet today on FSD going 14k (same could apply to base car prices). This would mostly nullify tax credits if that truly gets restored. Even if that does, there is a possibility of May 24 onwards gets covered in one of the bills but who knows. And then *if* tax credit or point of sale discount gets approved and everyone jumps in, god knows with current chip and inventory shortage when will the car eventually get delivered! But if you want to wait as well and are in no hurry to buy you can decide to wait as long as you want until adrenaline rush again. 😊

TL;DR: Buy if you like the product now for the price it sells at otherwise don’t. By the time the next update comes, the following update to that will be in the works and will be never ending. Chip shortage rather will cause lot of delays in future plus price increase.
 
Yea, it’s tough to play that waiting game, Gasaraki.

Personally, I would rather enjoy the benefits now. You can always trade in with retained value when the LFP comes out. Most likely, because Biden favors EVs, the bill will pass, so we can take advantage by years end.
 
It can't hurt to wait a couple of months on the tax credit, if it happens it will happen soon. My guess is that it will be watered down before it passes. The current bill has a ridiculous $12,500 credit for a Ford or GM car, less for Tesla, Rivian and all of the other startups. $12,500 is way too much, frankly I'd like to see the credit go away altogether so there can be a level playing field.
 
^^^?????

What? I've been paying way too much for taxes most of my life. I pay more than my "fair share"....it's about time I could get something back out of this socialist Country and politics we live in.

If that means a tax credit, which definitely incentivize me to purchase an electric vehicle...then so be it.

Now, companies shouldn't be allowed to jack up their prices for vehicles to suck up any of that money like Elon and others have done to make their profits look better than they are. They should also have maximum price increases they can implement so the consumer is the one actually benefitting. The manufacturers will benefit from increased sales etc...
 
It's really simple: If you're OK with the car and OK with the price, buy it now. Playing the "what-if" waiting game almost always proves itself to be a fool's errand.

If I had waited for the "perfect deal" -- I would've been stuck driving a gas car the last 2 years, would've lost some minor features, and would've paid more for it even with credits being applied.

Run - don't walk - to your nearest web browser and order the car tonight, if it's what you want. You won't be disappointed.
 
Yes, current federal proposal is capped at car MSRP of $80K, and gives $10K EV tax credit for Teslas. The "Clean Energy For America Act" passed the Senate finance committee 2 weeks ago, and moves to the US Senate now for markup, changes, etc.

Two other things to point out:
- Looks like the OP already bought a Model Y SR, after I clicked that profile and messages and skimmed for a second.
- Kind of funny when owners of $100K Model X give advice to Model 3 buyers to just buy now, and don't bother to research a $10K tax credit that is already far along. Must be nice to consider $10K nothing to bother with. This is not a new groundbreaking law, the $7500 already existed for Teslas for 6 years, started under Obama/Biden, and can easily make a comeback now that it passed through the Senate Finance Committee during Biden/Harris administration 2 weeks ago.
 
- Kind of funny when owners of $100K Model X give advice to Model 3 buyers to just buy now, and don't bother to research a $10K tax credit that is already far along. Must be nice to consider $10K nothing to bother with. This is not a new groundbreaking law, the $7500 already existed for Teslas for 6 years, started under Obama/Biden, and can easily make a comeback now that it passed through the Senate Finance Committee during Biden/Harris administration 2 weeks ago.

You realize $10k won't be $10k, right? It may not (probably not, actually) going to happen to all, and when it does, you know as well as I do that Tesla is going to increase prices accordingly.

So it's not a wanton disregard in any way -- just being realistic that, as good as it sounds, it's not going to be what you think it is.
 
- Looks like the OP already bought a Model Y SR, after I clicked that profile and messages and skimmed for a second.
That is correct, I now drive a Model Y SR. I had put down a deposit on one the day after they took it off the menu, and it was up in the air whether Tesla would be able to deliver what I ordered. Was leaning toward a 3. Ended up taking delivery of the Y SR 10 days after I posted the OP here.

Funny thing. The SR+ Model 3 I was considering on March 10th was $36,990. It's now $39,990. That $7,000 tax credit I was worried about would be worth only $4,000 at this moment (since the car went up $3,000).
 
That is correct, I now drive a Model Y SR. I had put down a deposit on one the day after they took it off the menu, and it was up in the air whether Tesla would be able to deliver what I ordered. Was leaning toward a 3. Ended up taking delivery of the Y SR 10 days after I posted the OP here.

Funny thing. The SR+ Model 3 I was considering on March 10th was $36,990. It's now $39,990. That $7,000 tax credit I was worried about would be worth only $4,000 at this moment (since the car went up $3,000).
Nice move, awesome deal on the MY SR with full premium interior.
Also - yes the $38K Model 3 is now $40K, but Tesla only charges you the price at the time of the reservation, not the current price. Anyway it's worth it, because the car has power trunk, dual-pane glass, and various upgrades. Note that the tax credit pushed by Biden admin passed Senate committee as $10K, not $7K.

You realize $10k won't be $10k, right? It may not (probably not, actually) going to happen to all, and when it does, you know as well as I do that Tesla is going to increase prices accordingly.

So it's not a wanton disregard in any way -- just being realistic that, as good as it sounds, it's not going to be what you think it is.
That's cool, you think tax credit won't happen, and even if it does, they will somehow charge you the new prices after the fact. Interesting.
For me : I think Tesla will honor my $39K order price for at least 6 months. Also, I collected $7500 in 2018 for getting a Model 3, so it's kinda hard to convince me that it won't happen again. I think its about 70% chance. Good debate!
 
That's cool, you think tax credit won't happen, and even if it does, they will somehow charge you the new prices after the fact. Interesting.
For me : I think Tesla will honor my $39K order price for at least 6 months. Also, I collected $7500 in 2018 for getting a Model 3, so it's kinda hard to convince me that it won't happen again. I think its about 70% chance. Good debate!

I also got the $3750 credit in April '19 when I bought my 3... but as for honoring prices, maybe check with Model S and X reservation holders.... Historically, yes, you are 100% right. But plenty of S/X reservation holders were just told they had to cough up an extra $10k for the new models. So what would they do if/when the tax credit passes? Still TBD... but I don't expect Tesla to leave money on the table, to be frank. Nor do we know if the tax credit will apply to orders placed before the bill passes, or if it's only delivery-date that matters. I can say that here in NJ, the credit program is changing to be based on *order* date... which I don't love.

I hope to be very wrong - nothing would make me happier than to see the credit come back and for Tesla to hold the line on pricing so they absolutely demolish the rest of the car market.... Heck, that might even convince me to replace my 3 with a Y. It'd almost be "free" at that point!
 
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Yes, current federal proposal is capped at car MSRP of $80K, and gives $10K EV tax credit for Teslas. The "Clean Energy For America Act" passed the Senate finance committee 2 weeks ago, and moves to the US Senate now for markup, changes, etc.

Two other things to point out:
- Looks like the OP already bought a Model Y SR, after I clicked that profile and messages and skimmed for a second.
- Kind of funny when owners of $100K Model X give advice to Model 3 buyers to just buy now, and don't bother to research a $10K tax credit that is already far along. Must be nice to consider $10K nothing to bother with. This is not a new groundbreaking law, the $7500 already existed for Teslas for 6 years, started under Obama/Biden, and can easily make a comeback now that it passed through the Senate Finance Committee during Biden/Harris administration 2 weeks ago.
Ahhh that kinda sucks if you want a plaid. I got a 5k state tax credit for my m3 which was cool tho.