Bait And Switch? Just Days After Lowering Prices, Tesla Discontinues Low End Models

They seem to do quite well selling the more powerful version of the vehicles. If it works they will keep the 75kWh unit off the model list. If not, it may reappear sometime in the future. The car business is fluid, they are changing their lineup to suit the market.

Saw a spreadsheet someone put together of sold Teslas and the X and S base versions were accounting for almost 65%.

It's the smart play even if it is disingenuous.
Tesla should have stayed on high end models as they found people willing to pay these prices and it is profitable.

“It’s not premium though you guys! Tesla can’t charge premium prices!”- Said the fool

Well they just did....

SJD - can you explain this to us? Didn't the '75' Model S/X have the same battery as the more expensive one but with range/capactiy just limited by software?

Or I am thinking of the 60/75?

Pls call down to the accounting department and get the Manager of Inventory Accounting to explain this to us! :-)

60/75..and for a few grand it can be upgraded (hardware AND software) to the 75 and "uncorked" to the tune of a 0-60 of 4.1 secs,

Oh God! Don't say that. The Tesla crazies will show up in their white garb with burning crosses. One Tesla loudmouth here once responded to me saying that building Model 3s at $60K and ignoring all those waiting in line for the $35K model that was promised was morally defensible.

Except they won't actually be burning crosses. The crosses will be lit up by batteries powered by Tesla solar panels.

Oh that's right, Tesla men are castrati. Trust me, if pushed, these hateful people will burn crosses.

Of course, none of this is in line with Musk's frequently stated goal of producing an affordable mass produced electic car in order to save a world that doesn't need saving,except perhaps, from the likes of people like Musk.
Look at what happened to Tesla Model S & Model Y sales near the end of 2018 in Europe, and this wasn't the result of losing U.S. tax credits, which didn't even begin until Dec 31. Tesla was getting murdered by Jaguar's I Pace and by a car that hasn't even gone into production yet - the Porsche Taycan, as well as
the waiting lists for the I Pace, the Taycan and the Audi e-tron, while there wasn't a significant waiting list for the Model S or Model Y. Most of those murdered or stolen sales came at the expense of the low priced Model S and Model X. And the sales will only get worse as the e-tron hits the showrooms,
along with the potent Volvo Polestar 2, and others too many to name. Only the highest priced Teslas will avoid this unbeatable competition. The 75 Model S is gone forever, Tesla hoping that the Model 3 high end version will do better. But this is a ridiculous notion in the U.S., where Tesla is burdened by its lost tax credits, and its hard to imagine why anyone would opt for a Model 3, which is a low quality clone of the superior Model S 75. Tesla is simply trying desperately to remove as many of its models from direct competition as it can.
Why build cars that cannot compete nor produce a significant profit margin?
The Porsche Taycan , which will build more cars than Tesla built Model S vehicles, has completely sold out its entire first year production.Without the 75 Model S or Model X, it will outsell all of Tesla's premium vehicles combined. It will likely sell twice as many and if it started another production line to build a performance version, it could easily run the remaining high end Model S and Model X cars into the ground, without doubt.

Nope, Porsche stated that they will make 20k of them starting at over $90k up to $130k and many to Tesla owners:

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1120661_porsche-taycan-sold-out-for-a-yearto-mostly-tesla-drivers

In a way it makes sense to build a bigger gap between the S/X and the 3/Y. I think many including myself would not choose a base S over a 3 Performance. You get way more for the money (including range and speed) on the 3. Margins are also higher on the 3 Performance than the base S.

This is pure speculation, but I think they are going to release a new battery based on the Model 3's 2170 cells. I think it will be 6 equally sized modules adding up to 120 kWh, and it will sell for the same price as the 100 (cost to Tesla should be similar as well with the better cells). Range on the S 120D would be about 400 miles, beating out anything else even proposed for 2019. After demand slows for the new pack, they would be able to pull two battery modules and sell an 80 kWh version with 300 miles of range. Added bonus to the 120D using 2170 cells... it would add a significant amount of power the current powertrain which is limited not by the motors, but by the battery. There is at least 100-150 horsepower of untapped power the motors are not able to get.

Way more for the money? It has no winter package, no sunroof, no free supercharging EVER (CPO S and X do), smaller rims, far less storage and lower quality materials...and slower that a p100d by ALOT.

In terms of value for a new car, the 3 Performance is tough to beat. The sunroof is also gone on the S as is free supercharging. Rims look great on both cars. Materials, fit & finish I actually like more on the 3 (side pockets, hidden cell phone door, coat hooks, grocery hooks are nice touches not on the S yet). Overall storage is far better on the S/X, but the overall cost difference isn't worth it on the 75D.

The lowest price Tesla prior to the model 3 has been discontinued. Soon Tesla will no longer be boasting of a 35K model 3. Why because the competition is starting to crop up now. Hyundai, Nissan, Kia and soon Volkswagen will have vehicles that undercut the Model 3 in price and soon range. Hyundai is at 250, Nissan is at 228, even the 2019 I3 in the US without using the Rex is at 181. Soon VW will be at 205 range and than 350 range. So Tesla can only boast about performance over these other vehicles but for how long. I even read that there are adaptors so you can use Tesla superchargers on your non Tesla EV now.I bet the average transaction price on every model 3 will be about 50K. So that means that Tesla is going to retreat to its high profit models to make any money. Then comes Porsche, Audi and BMW to enter that price arena. Soon it will be either Bye Bye Tesla or it will be called the Tesla EV division of a larger auto company.

Wrong, the charger NEEDS to be authenticated by Tesla first of all, secondly it requires a credit card on file and a verified Tesla vehicle attached to said card. Secondly the Taycan STARTS at over $90k, they don't even offer an ICE vehicle under $50k!Did I mention you can already buy the $45k Model 3?

Retry.