I know that Tesla took the $35,000 base model off of their website only a couple of months after they finally offered it to the public, which was a really shady business move in my opinion. And I know that you can supposedly still get the $35,000 base model if you call your local Tesla dealership and ask for it. But what I'm wondering is if this option truly is available if you call, how long it will take to get delivered if you order it, and how low you can drop the price after tax incentives.
I don't own one (mine is an LR RWD), but I've seen reports from people who have received the bottom-of-the-line Model 3. In fact, YouTube car reviewer
Alex on Autos has a multi-part review of one (two parts, plus a short "I've taken delivery" type of video). Tesla has changed from its original plan of a car with a downgraded interior to delivering the same interior as everything else, but with software limitations to remove some functionality. This means that you're more likely to be able to get one quickly, since it'll just be an SR+, which they may have in stock; they'll just flip a software switch to turn off seat heaters, satellite imagery on maps, etc.
As to delivery time, that's a bit of a gamble. The way it works is that you place an order, then:
- If the car you specify (color, etc.) is in stock nearby, you'll be matched to that car and it can be delivered in a matter of days.
- If the car you specify is not in stock, then Tesla may offer you a deal on something similar that is in stock. For instance, if you specify a black exterior, and that's not currently available locally, but an otherwise identical car with a blue paint job is available, Tesla is likely to offer that one to you, possibly at the same price as the black, which is a discount since blue costs extra. (At least, that's the way it's worked with higher-level trims. I don't know if they'd be less likely to offer the free paint upgrade on a base SR.)
- If you insist on getting exactly the car you wanted, you'll be put on a wait list and get a car from the next shipment to your area with a matching car that isn't already allocated to somebody else. That could be in a few days, in a week or two, or longer, depending on production schedule.
Tesla tries to deliver as many cars as possible in the same quarter in which they're made, which means that production for the first few weeks of a quarter tend to go to overseas markets; then to Canada and the eastern US; then to western US states; and finally to California. I've seen claims that Tesla has moved from overseas to North American production for the current quarter, but I can't confirm that. You can, of course, ask your Tesla salesperson about how long it's likely to take, but I'm not sure the accuracy would be better than you'd get out of a Magic Eight Ball.
I live in Virginia, and so I can only drop the price to $31,500 due to the $3,500 federal tax incentive for electric cars, right? I'm not missing out on any other incentives, correct?
For deliveries (note: deliveries, not orders) through the end of June, the US Federal tax credit is $3750, not $3500. Between July and December of this year, the Federal tax credit drops to $1875, then to $0 starting in 2020. That's a small difference, of course, but I thought I'd mention it. Also, that's a tax credit, so it's not taken off the price you pay up front. At best, you can see it with your next paycheck or estimated tax payment by adjusting your withholding or estimated tax payment; but you might not see it until you file your 2019 taxes in early 2020. Of course, you're likely to pay more in delivery fees ($1200), sales tax, and registration fees than the Federal tax credit is worth.
