Prices on 2024 Inventory Were Just Dropped

[Mini2nut]

Sales have cratered for two big reasons. Affordability and Elon has alienated buyers from the brand.

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[YDR37]

We were sold on the price and specs as announced and what we have is FAR from that. I am the biggest Tesla fan and this is not what we as consumers were expecting.

It's true that Tesla missed on price and specs, but they had another big miss as well: the timing. Cybertruck production was supposed to start in late 2021, just two years after the late 2019 announcement event. That's a fast schedule for a brand new model that needs completely new production lines. It suggested that the design was finished and tested -- which in turn suggested that the pricing and specs were well established -- and that the only things left to do were to build new production lines at the factory and to set up the associated supply chains.

In reality, production didn't start until late 2023, so four years after the announcement, instead of just two. That was the first clue that something wasn't going according to plan -- even before the final pricing and specs were available. Seems likely that the design was still incomplete and not fully tested in 2019, and that some overly optimistic assumptions were made at that time.

 

[PlayerPiano]

It's true that Tesla missed on price and specs, but they had another big miss as well: the timing. Cybertruck production was supposed to start in late 2021, just two years after the late 2019 announcement event. That's a fast schedule for a brand new model that needs completely new production lines. It suggested that the design was finished and tested -- which in turn suggested that the pricing and specs were well established -- and that the only things left to do were to build new production lines at the factory and to set up the associated supply chains.

In reality, production didn't start until late 2023, so four years after the announcement, instead of just two. That was the first clue that something wasn't going according to plan -- even before the final pricing and specs were available. Seems likely that the design was still incomplete and not fully tested in 2019, and that some overly optimistic assumptions were made at that time.

Doesn’t help that we printed a boat load of money in 2020-2023 that inflated everything….ability to produce at those prices probably went away once printing started. Same in every industry.

 

[YDR37]

Doesn’t help that we printed a boat load of money in 2020-2023 that inflated everything….ability to produce at those prices went away once printing started. Same in every industry.

In 2019, the low-end RWD CT was announced at $39,900 (in 2019 dollars). For comparison, a low-end Standard Range 2019 Model 3 cost $36,200 to $41,190 (also in 2019 dollars). So in 2019, Tesla was claiming that a basic CT would be about as affordable as a basic Model 3.

Today, a basic 2025 Model 3 costs $42,490 (without tax credit). So yes, there has been some inflation. But a basic 2025 CT costs $69,990 (again, without tax credit). No reasonable person can claim that that the 2025 M3 and the 2025 CT are equally affordable, and that goes beyond the effects of inflation.

 

[YDR37]

No reasonable person can claim that that the 2025 M3 and the 2025 CT are equally affordable, and that goes beyond the effects of inflation.

The pricing issue isn't complicated. The CT ended up priced like the Model S and Model X -- the expensive Teslas. And the sales of expensive Teslas are low.

The CT would obviously sell better if it was priced like the Model 3 and the Model Y -- the cheap Teslas. The sales of cheap Teslas are high. Here are Tesla's announced delivery numbers for 1Q 2025:

Expensive Teslas (MS, MX, CT): 12,881
Cheap Teslas (M3, MY): 323,800

So globally, the cheap Teslas outsell the expensive Teslas by a whopping 25 to 1. The RWD CT, at $70K, is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn't really qualify as a "cheap Tesla".

 

[Bridgeboy69]

I'm apparently not seeing the same facts that you are. Here's what I see:

- Tesla sold 6,406 CTs in the US in 1Q 2025. Add several hundred for Canada, and the total is more like 7,000.

- Tesla currently has around 5,700 CTs in inventory in North America. If Tesla is selling 7,000 per quarter, then that inventory is not going to disappear in an instant. It would take most of a quarter to clear it out, assuming no further CT production.

I agree with your numbers. I consider those tiny, minuscule, numbers compared to the TAM they have in the USA. My "instant" comment I think threw you off. I didn't mean a literal instant. Although possible under certain conditions, not that probable. But a quarter? You commented “they could take them almost a quarter to clear out.” I am not worried it might take them a quarter to clear out inventory in a recession. You consider that a big deal? I don’t, and maybe that is where we disagree. We are in a recession, all high priced car manufacturer's sales are down. Rivian sales, way down, etc. As soon as the macro winds change a little, and they can change in an instant, with a FED rate cut, a Trump Tweet, or adminstration policy change I.E. tarrif cuts, etc.

Tesla is under particular scrutiny by not really Elon's action so much as his enemy’s rampant propaganda and advertisement across all major media platforms that they control to spin them worse than they really are and influence public opinion...same with propaganda overblowing a few radical Tesla vandalisms to make seem to the public like it’s going on everywhere when it isn’t. And their rampant propaganda bashing Musk and Tesla is most likely what influenced the few radicals to perform the vandalisms in the first place (if not straight up paid to do it in the first place). It is classic playbook propaganda to influence public opinion and it's being financed by all the players that are heavily, very heavily threatened by Musk and his various market disrupting businesses. But Musk, and Tesla, has always weathered these storms, and they will again.

I am the biggest Tesla fan and this is not what we as consumers were expecting.

True, but same can be said for customers who waited years for the Rivan, etc. Actually worse for Rivian..

 

[Mini2nut]

"same with propaganda overblowing a few radical Tesla vandalisms to make seem to the public like it’s going on everywhere when it isn’t"

So true. The liberal news media is making it sound like Tesla vandalism is rampant when in truth it's blown way out of proportion.

The purpose of the news media is to induce anxiety in its viewers/readers.

 

[pricedm]

We were sold on the price and specs as announced and what we have is FAR from that.

You forgot a few "better"s"

1. 48V architecture. Less mass, less complexity, more simplicity.
2. Steer-by-wire. Better maneuverability.
3. ...

What sucks: Inflation. 25.09% from November 2019 to April 2025. So the $50k dual motor AWD is now an inflation-adjusted $62,500.

Move to Colorado and take advantage of $3,750 state tax credit in addition to $7,500 federal tax credit. Cost is LESS than a Toyota Tacoma hybrid. And you get a covered, secure, 6 foot bed.

 

[Gigahorse]

"same with propaganda overblowing a few radical Tesla vandalisms to make seem to the public like it’s going on everywhere when it isn’t"

So true. The liberal news media is making it sound like Tesla vandalism is rampant when in truth it's blown way out of proportion.

The purpose of the news media is to induce anxiety in its viewers/readers.

So it is exaggerated, BUT the Tesla sentiment/hate is very real.
5 years of owning and driving a Tesla I got coal-rolled 2-3x and maybe 5middle fingers, maybe due to driving at the time, maybe due to the car.

In the last 5 months I have gotten more hate in a Model Y than the previous 5 years, and my CT I can likely rack up the same amount in 5 days.

I would also argue that the % of cybertrucks being vandalized is higher than any other vehicle in the market by a factor of 10x
There are only 40kish CT on the road and I can find you at least 40 sentry mode videos of people vandalizing one. Call it 1/1,000 is a CRAZY high number.

 

[Wavshrdr]

"same with propaganda overblowing a few radical Tesla vandalisms to make seem to the public like it’s going on everywhere when it isn’t"

So true. The liberal news media is making it sound like Tesla vandalism is rampant when in truth it's blown way out of proportion.

The purpose of the news media is to induce anxiety in its viewers/readers.

For the most part I agree, but it does exist. The only time I've been flipped off recent was when I took a CT for a test drive. That doesn't count all the protesters doing it when I left the Tesla store. I assume it will vary by area as well.

As a side note, I have been pricing insurance for a CT and a Rivian R1T, as those are my two finalists. Over the last few months, the Rivian's insurance costs have gone down, and the CT costs have gone up. The other Teslas I insure have been pretty stable.

For the CT, it is comprehensive costs that have gone up when I look at the breakdown of the quote. I use both Geico and Progressive for insurance and they both are reflecting the increase to varying degrees.

 

[Macgreiner]

You forgot a few "better"s"

1. 48V architecture. Less mass, less complexity, more simplicity.
2. Steer-by-wire. Better maneuverability.
3. ...

What sucks: Inflation. 25.09% from November 2019 to April 2025. So the $50k dual motor AWD is now an inflation-adjusted $62,500.

Move to Colorado and take advantage of $3,750 state tax credit in addition to $7,500 federal tax credit. Cost is LESS than a Toyota Tacoma hybrid. And you get a covered, secure, 6 foot bed.

There were definitely some improvements - but the 48v improvement means no discernable owner vale - only good for Tesla reducing costs.

 

[Trbizwiz]

I'm just waiting for cheap interest. I suspect its coming by some time in May. I was going to trade in my only remaining ICE car, but if Tesla does 0%, I think I'll finance the entire amount, and sell that car to Carvanna, which is offering 20% more. Ill use the revenue from that sale, to add solar and a Powerwall to my n ew house, which interestingly comes out to right about the sale value of that car. So I'll sort of get 0% interest on the Cybertruck and Tesla solar.

 

[CyberTruckz]

I'm just waiting for cheap interest. I suspect its coming by some time in May. I was going to trade in my only remaining ICE car, but if Tesla does 0%, I think I'll finance the entire amount, and sell that car to Carvanna, which is offering 20% more. Ill use the revenue from that sale, to add solar and a Powerwall to my n ew house, which interestingly comes out to right about the sale value of that car. So I'll sort of get 0% interest on the Cybertruck and Tesla solar.

I think we see 1.99% or better on AWD and FS, RWD excluded anytime after the ER tomorrow but I would suspect before June 1. Hopefully FSD transfer back too.

 

[NotMyTruck]

It ain’t over broskis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/business/student-loan-borrowers-payments.html

 

[AU742]

I'm waiting a couple more weeks to see what happens and hope for a good finance rate in combination with the current discounts. I really don't want to miss out on the discounts but inventory seems to be staying pretty steady. If that starts to change significantly, I'll go ahead and pull the trigger.

I had been leaning mostly towards a CB but an AWD FS popped up this afternoon for my zip code. There had been zero previously. Starting to question if I really want a CB because for the same price I can get all the FS extras plus FSD and free supercharging. I'm trying not to value free supercharging very high on my list because I always charge at home with the exception of trips but it is definitely something nice to have and I will be road tripping more now that I am living in WA.

Is the CB practical? No. Do I want it? Absolutely. It is hard for me to come up with any actual reason that I want a CB other than I can say I have a CB. Part of the reason I was opting for a non FS CB was because I wanted it to say Cyberbeast on the dash and not Foundation Series.

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