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In an update to the company’s online configurator, Tesla has quietly increased the starting price of the tri-motor Cybertruck by $15,000.
The base price for the top-tier, performance-focused Cybertruck variant has now risen from $99,990 to $114,990.
Along with the price hike, Tesla has added several features to the vehicle, which the EV maker is calling a “Luxe Package.”
Included in the Luxe package, the tri-motor Cybertruck now comes standard with the full self-driving (supervised) software, an $8,000 feature.
Additionally, Tesla is offering free lifetime supercharger access, premium connectivity, and four years of Premium service.
Tesla states that the four-year premium service includes wheel and tire protection, windshield protection, and recommended maintenance.
Tesla further breaks down all the offers and limitations included in the Luxe package, writing…
“Luxe Package
Full Self-Driving (Supervised)
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) requires active supervision and does not make your vehicle autonomous.
Features available to you may vary depending on your vehicle configuration, hardware, software version, region, model, vehicle trim, and model year.
Four-Year Premium Service
Includes tire and windshield protection plan plus maintenance. Covers scheduled services including wheel alignment, tire rotations, front camera cleaning, replacement of the HEPA filter, and the wiper blade.
Supercharging
Charge for free at 70,000+ Superchargers worldwide. You are still responsible for Supercharger fees, like idle and congestion fees, when applicable.
May only be redeemed at Tesla-owned Superchargers. Cannot be used for commercial purposes (e.g., taxi, rideshare, or delivery services).
If Tesla determines in good faith at its sole discretion that the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes, Tesla may remove the free Supercharging from the vehicle.
The vehicle will then default to Pay Per Use Supercharging. Not transferable to subsequent vehicle owners or to another vehicle.
Advertising
Premium Connectivity
Feature availability is subject to change. Paid subscriptions may be required to use certain features.”
It’s debatable whether paying an extra $15,000 for these features is worth it. FSD, which costs $8,000, takes a big chunk of the added value.
However, it’s debatable whether the additional premium features provide $7,000 worth of value.
For example, the premium connectivity add-on is available to any Cybertruck owner and costs only $10 a month or $100 a year.
The tire rotations, HEPA filter replacement, and windshield wiper blade replacement aren’t worth much—especially given Tesla has capped access to the “premium service” for four years.
The wild card here is the free supercharger access. For some reason, a lot of Tesla owners are willing to pay thousands of dollars upfront to get lifetime free Supercharger access.
This is hard to understand, considering home charging is quite inexpensive and more convenient.
Cybertruck owners would need to take several road trips a year to make the extra thousands paid for free supercharger access worthwhile.
Why Increase Prices Amid Declining Sales?
Another interesting point about the Cybertruck price increase is why Tesla is raising prices while sales are declining.
Elon Musk previously stated that Tesla planned to build 250,000 Cybertrucks annually, and Tesla currently has the capacity to produce 130,000 units per year.
However, recent sales data show that Cybertruck sales are currently hovering around an annualized rate of 20,000 units.
This is much lower than Tesla’s target, and more importantly, low sales mean lower economies of scale, which forces Tesla to raise prices to avoid losing money on each Cybertruck sold.
This is certainly a disappointing development for a vehicle that once received over a million reservations.
However, please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
For more information, check out: Elon Musk Says, “Maybe Tesla Should Make a Flying Cybertruck.” Tesla Engineers React With Surprise to This Unexpected Announcement
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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Source: torquenews.com
