Tesla Unveils The Model S 60 at $66K..... effects on the Model 3

[plankeye]

i think this pretty much confirms the will be shooting for one battery for the model 3, and the available size will be controlled by software.

It would definitely make manufacturing easier to produce one battery pack for every car.

There is a 90KWh option, so there are still two battery sizes. The 60 doesn't come with a 90KWh unlockable battery.

 

[1208]

When they saw how many Model 3 reservations were made they realised they need to ramp production for these new Tesla owners.

So thought, "hey, some of those will be buying the higher end model 3, lets give them a cheaper S, to tempt them away from the 3"
as the S is on a different production line and can be produced now.

 

[eloder]

Disagree. Everything points to the S60 being a niche car (much like S40 was a niche) and the S sells in lower volume in the first place. Thus Tesla can afford to do this (as they did with S40). The Model 3 base model however will sell a lot more even if it is not the majority of Model 3 (although there is a distinct possibility that unlike the S, most people will choose the base for the 3).

The S60 was a niche car because it didn't have supercharging default, didn't have all wheel drive, and a whole host of other things.

~30 miles of range didn't make the S70 good, including supercharging and an AWD option for close to the same price made it good.

 

[MassModel3]

When they saw how many Model 3 reservations were made they realised they need to ramp production for these new Tesla owners.

So thought, "hey, some of those will be buying the higher end model 3, lets give them a cheaper S, to tempt them away from the 3"
as the S is on a different production line and can be produced now.

That wouldn't surprise me at all. I could definitely see them trying to ease the Model 3 line by tempting people to buy a more expensive S at a new low price. Kinda brilliant, actually.

 

[Wander]

Looks like a nice tax loophole for my country, The Netherlands. Part of the tax you have to pay is based around the price of the car when you bought it.

So if you would buy an S60 and unlock it later, the savings would be:

10.000 * 0.04 * 0.52 = 208 euro's a year

Hmm.. actually not that much, it would be a better trick if the Tesla wasn't taxed so favourably allready

 

[EVNow]

interesting part to me is the battery...clearly it's a 75kwh battery that is software unlockable after the fact. i think this pretty much confirms the will be shooting for one battery for the model 3, and the available size will be controlled by software. same for the high amp charger...

No way. They have to save every penny to get to $35k. They are not going to spend thousands to put more batteries than needed.

We should also remember that earlier Tesla representative (JB?) clearly stated when talking about cost that Model 3 base won't even have 60 kWh battery.

 

[Az_Rael]

Eh, I just hope this makes the CPO S60 prices drop further. I will probably be optioning out a Model 3 close to that S60 range after the tax credit, however, my Model 3 will have lots more options than the base 60. Better bang for the buck, so to say.

But, I still have my eyes on "cheap" used Model S's and I might pull the trigger on one of those while I wait. I should be able to get a more optioned car for less money overall and since most of the depreciation has already been taken, I shouldn't lose too much selling it when I get my 3.

 

[3Victoria]

Having a single (upgradable) battery means savings on: build simplicity, inventory and scale. A lower initial price may induce buyers to spend the equivalent money on other options instead (AWD, etc.) with a higher margin, and still buy the upgrade later, again at a higher margin.

I am not saying this will happen, but it does have its upside for Tesla.

 

[ZBB]

Classic 60 owner here...

I just configured a "new" 60 configured as closely as possible to my now 3-year old 60... Without Autopilot, the new 60 is about $6k less similarly optioned (pano roof, premium upgrades, tan next gen seats, obeche gloss); with Autopilot its about $3.5k less. And it has the option to enable more range at a later date for a $500 premium vs enabling it now. Even adding dual motor and subzero, keeps the cost below what I paid if autopilot is not enabled (and its ~$2k more if enabling AP...).

This is good -- and should help Tesla bump a few more sales. I think the price increase in April bumped it just enough that it impacted orders...

 

[MountainHigh]

I doubt it will have much of an impact at all.
Still some $30k over the m3. And the listed range is less, 210 miles vs the 215 Musk stated at the m3 reveal.

 

[Booga]

I doubt it will have much of an impact at all.
Still some $30k over the m3. And the listed range is less, 210 miles vs the 215 Musk stated at the m3 reveal.

Yeah. My guess is that this car is more for getting people in the door - they probably don't actually anticipate selling a lot of them.

 

[alseTrick]

There is a 90KWh option, so there are still two battery sizes. The 60 doesn't come with a 90KWh unlockable battery.

Yup. Exactly.

It's more likely that (in the future) Tesla will offer a 40kWh ($26,500) Model 3 option which can be unlocked to the 55kWh ($35,000) option. They would still sell a separate 70kWh ($50,000*) option.

*Includes the likely $5,000 upgrade to AWD in the price of the 70kWh Model 3 battery, since it's mandatory when you upgrade to the largest battery size with the Model S.

 

[MassModel3]

Classic 60 owner here...

I just configured a "new" 60 configured as closely as possible to my now 3-year old 60... Without Autopilot, the new 60 is about $6k less similarly optioned (pano roof, premium upgrades, tan next gen seats, obeche gloss); with Autopilot its about $3.5k less. And it has the option to enable more range at a later date for a $500 premium vs enabling it now. Even adding dual motor and subzero, keeps the cost below what I paid if autopilot is not enabled (and its ~$2k more if enabling AP...).

This is good -- and should help Tesla bump a few more sales. I think the price increase in April bumped it just enough that it impacted orders...

Okay, so I decided to do the same thing. My S 60 cost its original owner $80K without tech package. Now, all Tesla's come with most of the tech package as standard (homelink, navigation, auto-keyless entry, power folding heated mirrors, parking sensors, fog lights and turning lights), plus supercharging for life. Adding my other options to the "new" base 60 results in a $71.5K price tag and it ultimately has far more features than my current 60 has (no tech, no supercharging). But then, some of the things in the new "premium" package were separate upgrades in my S (but I'm not adding that package price just for all the lighting effects).

Yeah, prices have really come down and this should really help Tesla push a lot more Model S's out the door. But I'm still waiting on the 3, then probably the next generation roadster. The S is just a really big car. Fast and beautiful, but really big.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Yeah. My guess is that this car is more for getting people in the door - they probably don't actually anticipate selling a lot of them.

When the 70D was first announced last year, that's what got me to start seriously considering one. Since then, I reserved an X and a 3 and ended up ordering a S90D! It would've been a lot cheaper if I would've just gone with a S70D.

 

[WileyTheMan]

I doubt it will have much of an impact at all.
Still some $30k over the m3. And the listed range is less, 210 miles vs the 215 Musk stated at the m3 reveal.

It won't be a huge impact, but it might help some people decide who were on the border for getting an S now or waiting for a 3.

 

[rcarpen22]

While I agree for many M3 reservation holders, the new 60 doesn't make sense, there are also going to be a good many for whom the "now" factor outweighs all of those other concerns. I believe there are a lot of people who are dying to drive a Tesla. Whether it's a MS or a M3 is somewhat of a lesser concern. This is a subject I have some experience in

 

[MassModel3]

I doubt it will have much of an impact at all.
Still some $30k over the m3. And the listed range is less, 210 miles vs the 215 Musk stated at the m3 reveal.

You know, plus or minus 5 miles range is pretty much irrelevant. It totally depends on driving conditions. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less. Depends on traffic, weather, hills, sunroof open or closed, how fast you go, and what your driving habits are like. I look at the 210 vs. 215 as basically the same thing. People who don't own an electric might not understand the differences and think they need that extra 5 miles on the battery, but you can eat up or save 5 miles worth of juice so easily...

 

[Lukas99]

Paying 8000EUR for unlocking something that is already in the car, and the cost of producing is already spent. 533EUR for extra 1KWh... Rip off for 15KWh more. Hope they will reconsider procing policy for M3, this is hard to accept. I can see this as a premium vehicle pricing strategy, hope M3 will be much more real when it comes to options.

 

[juanmedina]

And some people just prefer to drive the bigger and more expensive car even if it has less features than the lower model

 

[alseTrick]

Yeah. My guess is that this car is more for getting people in the door - they probably don't actually anticipate selling a lot of them.

I don't know. I think it's pretty ingenious.

Instead of buying a barebones S75 at $74,500, you could buy the S60 with leather seats, wood/carbon fiber decor, the premium package and autopilot for $74,750.

So I guess it just depends what you prefer. Are the 39 miles or the additional options more important to you?