Simple.
If the Tesla is limited to $55K, then that means the ICE car is limited to $40K, as it will cost $15K extra over 8 years for the gas to drive the ICE vs driving the Tesla. It's tough to get anything nice in ICE for $40K compared to what you can get in a Tesla for a bit more than $55K.
Eh, she would love it if we spent $40k or less on a car or suv! Also, given our electricity rates, it will run me around $11.5k more for ICE.
Otherwise, you're preaching to the choir! I've done a variety of analyses to account for fuel costs vs electricity, and it has yet to work. It's so weird, since she's quite conscious about the environment, and has also realized that her car is no longer sufficient for hauling our family around. She thinks the "more affordable" Model 3 is the answer, but it's actually looking to be the same size as her current car...
Anyways, we shall see what happens this weekend. I'm looking forward to whatever Elon plans to announce on Sunday, and also her reaction to the ICE cars we check out.