Tesla’s sub-$25,000 mass-market electric car may still be a year or two away from launch. But it looks like some customers are already driving home a Tesla for a great bargain by combining inventory discounts with local and federal incentives.
Twitter user Zohar claims to have driven home a spanking new Tesla Model 3 for $18,525 after taxes and fees in California. Sounds unreal, right? Before you scratch your head, we’ll break down the incentives Zohar put together, based on what he shared on the platform.
He purchased the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 with 18-inch wheels, draped in the midnight silver paint and a white interior, with an inventory discount of $4,120, for a sticker price of $37,120. A $500 referral reduced the price to $36,620 – the referral also gets you three months of free Full-Self Driving (FSD) capability.
Zohar shared that due to a unique financial situation from last year, he qualified for increased rebates for each program for low-income individuals. Although he maintained a good credit score and this year his income increased, due to which he would have the tax liability to benefit from the $7,500 federal clean vehicle credit.
Here’s a list of subsidies he was able to obtain:
That’s $23,000 of incentives, worth a whole new 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Without taxes and fees, his Model 3 cost him just $13,620, but with the $1,390 destination charges and 9.25 percent ($3,515) tax rate in his area, the effective price of his new Model 3 is just $18,525.
As a reminder, these incentives vary depending on the region and are determined based on income eligibility. Moreover, California’s incentives are known to be generous, and prices are likely to be different for residents of other states. Also, some subsidies cannot be obtained alongside others, which will also affect how much a buyer saves.
We reported in June about how some California residents could obtain a Tesla for under $20,000 – less than half the base custom order price. Even if you’re not a California resident, the Model 3 and Model Y are likely to cost you significantly lesser than their MSRP with the current wave of inventory discounts combined with the federal tax credit.
We’ve reached out to Zohar for additional details, so continue watching this space. What do you think about these generous rebate programs? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
