Can Model S be produced for $55K to qualify for federal tax credit?

[Sunshine Speed]

All the Teslas except Model S qualify for the Federal EV tax credit, even the Cybertruck will get an $80K price and qualify.
For sedans the MSRP limit is $55K. Would the following be possible?
Tesla Model S RWD for $55K ($48K after federal EV tax credit)
290 mile range with much smaller battery pack
Single motor.
Coil suspension.

Tesla Model S Long Range AWD for $68K
400 mile range, dual motor, air suspension.
**
Didn't Tesla build a Model S with smaller battery and coil suspension and single motor from 2012 to 2017? Bring it back!
Buyers at $55K can choose between a slower S with large cargo space and luxury interior and hatchback, or a Model 3 Performance track car with basic interior and a trunk.

Just an idea. Not sure it's realistic at all.

 

[Skavatar]

possible, but not likely. they probably want to keep the S and X in the luxury price category, competing with BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, etc.

 

[brainhouston]

i'm sure they can but market will probably dictate if the will...

 

[Cheburashka]

No point. The 3 and Y are moving more upmarket and inheriting Model S features such as rear display and air suspension.

Those old "cheap" Model S didn't have a luxury interior. They had cloth seats, metal roofs, and manual trunks. Up until 2016 next gen seats the standard cloth seats felt like sitting on a toilet.

 

[ucmndd]

S/X remain relatively complex and expensive to produce. For all the minor improvements they are manufactured more or less the same way they were a dozen years ago.

I don't think they could hit a $55k price target - that would also maintain a margin that would make it worth their while - without some serious compromise that most buyers wouldn't be interested in.

 

[GatorMeat]

No.
Buy a Model 3 if you cannot afford an S

 

[Xenoilphobe]

All the Teslas except Model S qualify for the Federal EV tax credit, even the Cybertruck will get an $80K price and qualify.
For sedans the MSRP limit is $55K. Would the following be possible?
Tesla Model S RWD for $55K ($48K after federal EV tax credit)
290 mile range with much smaller battery pack
Single motor.
Coil suspension.

Tesla Model S Long Range AWD for $68K
400 mile range, dual motor, air suspension.
**
Didn't Tesla build a Model S with smaller battery and coil suspension and single motor from 2012 to 2017? Bring it back!
Buyers at $55K can choose between a slower S with large cargo space and luxury interior and hatchback, or a Model 3 Performance track car with basic interior and a trunk.

Just an idea. Not sure it's realistic at all.

Increase its GVWR to 6000 lbs, and call it the Model Suv and they could sell it as an SUV, it would meet the IRS requirement for an SUV which requires a GVWR over 6000 lbs)... done.. add some extra batteries to increase the weight too.

The eligibility for tax incentives, such as the Section 179 deduction, for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 6,000 pounds or more is contingent upon several key criteria. First and foremost, the vehicle must have a GVWR of 6,000 pounds or higher

This is genius, more range, lower costs, and better platform.

 

[Seattle]

Increase its GVWR to 6000 lbs, and call it the Model Suv and they could sell it as an SUV, it would meet the IRS requirement for an SUV which requires a GVWR over 6000 lbs)... done.. add some extra batteries to increase the weight too.

The eligibility for tax incentives, such as the Section 179 deduction, for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 6,000 pounds or more is contingent upon several key criteria. First and foremost, the vehicle must have a GVWR of 6,000 pounds or higher

This is genius, more range, lower costs, and better platform.

This is what I was just thinking about. Make the S somehow able to be qualified as an SUV so under 80 gets the 7500 off. Adding weight or battery to get to 6k is a lot of change. I wonder why the Y counts as an SUV, a web search didn't answer the question.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I think there is some rule about 3 rows of seating. qualifies as an SUV... It's all BS, the domestic car lobby was trying to screw Tesla out of the incentive program and they changed pricing and the product to align with the government incentives. I should be much easier, if the car gets 120 eMPG, then it qualified regardless of what the hell the platform looks like. They should just slap some of those crappy fender flares on it like Subaru does and call it a Model Suv Outback...and crank the GVWR up to qualify. Maybe they could throw a removal battery pack that you just return once you buy the car, they charge you a core charge and you give it back post delivery for a refund.

 

[byeLT4]

Would those kiddie seats in the trunk count?

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Would those kiddie seats in the trunk count?

Probably, do they still make those? Imagine a Model S with a CT battery in it 123 kWh in a S might get close to 500 miles of range or damn close to it, I would buy that for $80K...

 

[Seattle]

Probably, do they still make those? Imagine a Model S with a CT battery in it 123 kWh in a S might get over 500 miles of range or damn close to it, I would buy that for $80K...

Add the kiddie seats back and save me 7.5k. also stalks and USS. then i'm ready to upgrade, even in the new age of Tesla chaos.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I want stalks too, I actually prefer to drive my sons Y over my wife's X, for this exact reason... USS, MEH, only really matters to me on a X, don't see a lot of benefits in the S..

 

[Seattle]

I want stalks too, I actually prefer to drive my sons Y over my wife's X, for this exact reason... USS, MEH, only really matters to me on a X, don't see a lot of benefits in the S..

I just repeated a drive from the west coast to the midwest to see the family in my 10 year old S. It was fun but I'm not doing it again unless I get a longer range car, 400 miles sounds good to me; I decided going from 250 to about 400 is what I need more than anything else. I'd like to keep my free supercharging.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I'm in the same boat, I been everywhere in our S's DC to Toronto, DC to Orlando, DC to Key West, DC to Nashville, I want the largest freaking battery I can get for both the range and the faster charging speeds. We kept our FUSC on my wife's X, which gets about 330 Miles the way she drives. The way I drive it I get about 280 miles.

 

[jay1122]

Can Tesla do a locked battery and acceleration and sell it for under $55K. Then pay for the unlock with $20K. Will Tesla get in trouble for doing that?

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Can Tesla do a locked battery and acceleration and sell it for under $55K. Then pay for the unlock with $20K. Will Tesla get in trouble for doing that?

You are a genius. I would pay for that.

 

[Seattle]

Can Tesla do a locked battery and acceleration and sell it for under $55K. Then pay for the unlock with $20K. Will Tesla get in trouble for doing that?

They did software locked/limited batteries even at the start in 2012.