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Think Elon will change option and allow lessee's to buy after lease... especially if car is MP3?
- Thread starter MSP2023
- Start date
It's something I've found funny about both Tesla and their fans 
"It's gonna be robotaxis here, there, everywhere! Got FSD? Robotaxi!"
Ok, then why does an autonomous taxi need such impressive performance? Even the SR+ RWD has significantly more power than needed or desired for a taxi service. Similar statement to "Why don't you only use AutoPilot, it's the point of the car!". Well, no, it's actually quite competent at performance and handling as well. The car has many points, not just FSD!
"It's gonna be robotaxis here, there, everywhere! Got FSD? Robotaxi!"
Ok, then why does an autonomous taxi need such impressive performance? Even the SR+ RWD has significantly more power than needed or desired for a taxi service. Similar statement to "Why don't you only use AutoPilot, it's the point of the car!". Well, no, it's actually quite competent at performance and handling as well. The car has many points, not just FSD!
I believe he will change his mind on all of them. FSD will not be ready in 3 years. Even if tesla achieves FSD,the laws wont let him have driverless cars.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
Or fiddly door handles, or a backseat where my head hits the glass, or steering wheels for that matter. I think they'll make entirely different vehicles for the robotaxis. Tesla might be able to sell lease returns for more than the residuals (which are very low) so they're keeping their options open
Texas (and many other states) allow FSD. New law clears the way for driverless cars on Texas roads
I’m curious to know what percentage of owners end up leasing versus buying. Based on the general number of comments from forum members here it seems to be a pretty low number. If so, Tesla would probably have no problem taking them back after 2-3 years and reselling them as used if the robotaxi program doesn’t go as planned (which obviously it will not).
HUGE factors affecting the residual value will be the quality + %left of the battery. If the used market is bad, then the option to buy has to be competitive. Since the M3 is relatively new, not even extended warranty pricing has been established, Tesla does not want to commit, I guess that's good business sense. Guess there are some shrewed finance personnel on board there.
I'm still on the fence, lease vs buy since my order has not yet arrived, but scheduled for a Sept delivery. I realize also there's no federal tax incentive when leasing so that $1875 should be factored in the purchase price.
The $ involvement in leasing sure looks good, better than buying tho + if the car is problematic, it's nice to know that when leasing is up, I'll just hand back the 2 cards!! On the other hand if there are no issues, I'd gladly exercise the option to buy. Sadly, there's no option!! It sucks.
I did not get any incentive such as Supercharging...(yet) to close by Sept 30 to make Elon's Q3 #s look good. I don't know if they will.
There may be a big push to increase Q4 #s, so, they may very well incentivize with free Supercharging sometime in Q4, maybe after Thanksgiving.
I could hold off getting the M3P- this September and upgrade to the M3P and take delivery in December for a little over $3k with Supercharging
Thoughts?
Does anyone have a crystal ball?
Anyone clairvoyant?
Maybe someone with excellent marketing background?
The $ involvement in leasing sure looks good, better than buying tho + if the car is problematic, it's nice to know that when leasing is up, I'll just hand back the 2 cards!! On the other hand if there are no issues, I'd gladly exercise the option to buy. Sadly, there's no option!! It sucks.
I did not get any incentive such as Supercharging...(yet) to close by Sept 30 to make Elon's Q3 #s look good. I don't know if they will.
There may be a big push to increase Q4 #s, so, they may very well incentivize with free Supercharging sometime in Q4, maybe after Thanksgiving.
I could hold off getting the M3P- this September and upgrade to the M3P and take delivery in December for a little over $3k with Supercharging
Thoughts?
Does anyone have a crystal ball?
Anyone clairvoyant?
Maybe someone with excellent marketing background?
CharleyBC
Active Member
I gave a ride to a guy at a recent National Drive Electric Week event. He was positively drooling for a Model 3. It was clear he would already be driving one if Tesla's lease allowed for purchase at the end. But he doesn't feel he can afford to buy the car new, and he doesn't want to think he's tossing away three years of lease payments with no chance of anything to show for it at the end. So there's one missed sale for that guy.
WilliamG
Hinge Fanatic
It's something I've found funny about both Tesla and their fans
"It's gonna be robotaxis here, there, everywhere! Got FSD? Robotaxi!"
Ok, then why does an autonomous taxi need such impressive performance? Even the SR+ RWD has significantly more power than needed or desired for a taxi service. Similar statement to "Why don't you only use AutoPilot, it's the point of the car!". Well, no, it's actually quite competent at performance and handling as well. The car has many points, not just FSD!
I would much rather my robotaxi have fantastic power than not. Rather useful for getting out of the way of idiot human drivers.
Tesla adds the tax incentive to the residual value of the car. This is not as good as reducing the cap cost, but it does lower the payment. If you purchase the vehicle at the end of lease, you are giving Tesla the tax incentive, plus the interest you paid on it.
I wonder how strict/difficult Tesla will be with lease returns. I mean, their customer service can be questionable at times, and the fact they have access to your driving logs it's possible they may say "you drive rather aggressively, how do we know you haven't dogged this thing?" I've wondered this because it's truly the first car where everything can be monitored...
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
Doubt it, because there's accounting issues involved.
Really nothing to do with robotaxis, but everything to do with the way Tesla recognizes revenue with the lease and whether it has to take provisions on the balance sheet for the risks associated with offering a purchase option.
Perhaps someone with current knowledge of the complex accounting for leases can either explain this better or shoot down my argument.
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
So basically he couldn't afford it, so no lost sale.
I suspect he was looking for a heavily discounted lease payment, and Tesla aren't doing that.
The lease payments aren't really less than the cost of a loan (unless the manufacturer is using the lease payment to hide a big discount), and often people need better credit for the lease, so if you can't afford a loan, you definitely can't afford a lease.
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
Yes, 3 years of lease payment is analogous to 3 years of renting.
Now, if the down payment to buy + higher monthly payment invested in the stock market and the returns substantial then it would make sense to lease, then use the proceeds to buy later, by then there should be significant improvements such as 0-60 in the 2.6-2.9secs...and the M3 may have a better build quality. Hmmm, I may be talking myself into this.
Yes, my sentiments exactly. Plus, if Tesla sells insurance, they have a direct pipeline to a driver's record, not 100%, unless they have a camera in the car where the speed exceed the roads speed limit by say 20+ mph. Big brother Tesla ah watching you bro.
Obviously it's in their best interest not to make life difficult for lease returns, as word will spread quick.
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
Run the numbers. You seem to think leasing is cheaper than buying, and I'm not sure you'll find that to be the case.
People's perception of the cost of leasing has been severely skewed because various automobile manufactures hid big discounts in the lease prices in order to maintain an overpriced MSRP. And there are leases with very low mileage allotments. And car dealerships will advertise lease rates knowing few, if any, people would get them. And often some combination of the above.
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