Tesla is offering some great deals on new cars as they close out the 3rd quarter (ending Sept 30).
Model S 75kWh cars can be purchased with around a $7000 discount from their original price. These are new cars that Tesla has built and shipped to service centers across the U.S. Tesla calls them "new inventory" cars but they are the same as new cars with only "50" miles on them.
Some new Model S 90kWh cars can be purchased with an even greater discount (ie., $12-13k off) but there are limited quantities of these cars. Also, some folks are getting great deals on 2 year leases of high-end P90D cars (ie., even as low as $700/month w/$7k down). The two year lease option was originally scheduled to end on Sept 15, but Tesla has extended it to the end of the month.
These are the best deals for new cars that Tesla has ever offered, and they will likely only last until the end of next week when their Q3 fiscal quarter ends.
Some of the deals can be found directly on Tesla's website or you can use an aggregator like ev-cpo.com, which shows most of Tesla's inventory.
I also have a great OA that I can refer to you that has helped dozens of people find great deals in the past few weeks. If you need his info, just reply to this email and I can send you his contact info.
If you end of purchasing a car, please use my referral link/code for $1000 discount, http://ts.la/david7556.
Lastly, I'll give an example of what it costs to buy a new Model S 75kWh (based on availability) that's in stock at a service center. A 75kWh (depending on options) might be given a $6500-7000 discount, so a $80,000 car (that includes some options like Autopilot) might be discounted to $73,000. You'll be eligible for the $7500 federal tax rebate, which brings down the cost of the car to $65,500. And if you live in California and meet the income requirements, you can receive $2500 state rebate, which makes the cost drop to $64,000. Then, you can use my referral link (above) and save another $1000. So, the total cost (of course, not including sales tax) would be $63,000. A great deal for a Model S 75kWh w/options such as Autopilot.
Tesla Energy
Tesla plans to unveil solar roof with integrated battery and charger at October 28th event
Tesla is planning to unveil a solar roof product for buildings at an event on October 28th in San Francisco, according to a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The solar roof would be the first new product to come out of the SolarCity/Tesla merger, though that transaction has yet to close.
Musk says the solar roof will include a Powerwall battery and a Tesla charger.
Model S
Tesla v8.0 software update is being pushed right now, all the details and full release notes
In an industry-first safety measure, we’re also introducing Cabin Overheat Protect, focused on child (and pet) safety. This feature keeps the car at a safe temperature for hours, even when the car is off. This feature is only made possible by an electric vehicle with Tesla’s uniquely large battery packs.
Elon Musk: Tesla To Probably Stop At 100 kWh Battery
But by Musk stating that 100 kWh is probably the biggest Tesla will offer, another side benefit comes into play. Would-be Tesla buyers who perhaps thought an even bigger battery was on the way soon will now feel relatively confident that they can buy without the risk of having a car that gets trumped by an even bigger battery version down the road. In the Model S, the 100 kWh battery is good for 315 miles of range and when the non-Performance version is launched, that range figure could jump to approximately 340-plus miles. We feel that’s more than enough for any driver out there, so 100 kWh is a solid stopping point in our eyes.
Tesla sues Michigan Governor Snyder and others for right to sell cars
Electric automaker Tesla filed a lawsuit today against state officials, escalating its multi-year battle to sell vehicles directly to consumers in Michigan. The California automaker named Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Gov. Rick Snyder in its lawsuit filed in in federal court.
Tesla Model S P100D Actually Has More Range Than Stated - Voluntarily Lowered By Company
According to the EPA, the Model S P100D gets a city range rating of 305.9 miles, a highway range rating of 346.9 miles and a combined rating of 315 miles. As one might notice, those two numbers (city/highway) are too high to achieve a combined 315 miles estimated range. So, what gives? That combined figure has been voluntarily reduced by Tesla to 315 miles. We’re not sure why, but we’ve seen this in the past with Tesla ratings. The non-reduced figure (given the math on the P90D) should be ~323+ miles.
Autopilot
Here’s the federal plan to accelerate the self-driving car revolution
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) presents the new guidelines as a way to help ensure the safe deployment of what it calls “highly automated vehicles” (HAVs), while doing everything it can to not slow it down or suffocate it under regulations.
Barack Obama: Self-driving, yes, but also safe
Safer, more accessible driving. Less congested, less polluted roads. That’s what harnessing technology for good can look like. But we have to get it right. Americans deserve to know they’ll be safe today even as we develop and deploy the technologies of tomorrow. That’s why my administration is rolling out new rules of the road for automated vehicles – guidance that the manufacturers developing self-driving cars should follow to keep us safe. And we’re asking them to sign a 15-point safety checklist showing not just the government, but every interested American, how they’re doing it. We’re also giving guidance to states on how to wisely regulate these new technologies, so that when a self-driving car crosses from Ohio into Pennsylvania, its passengers can be confident that other vehicles will be just as responsibly deployed and just as safe. Regulation can go too far. Government sometimes gets it wrong when it comes to rapidly changing technologies. That’s why this new policy is flexible and designed to evolve with new advances.
George "Geohot" Hotz Presents the Comma One at Disrupt SF
George Hotz of Comma.ai takes the stage to trash talk some other autonomous driving startups and launch a self-driving car kit before talking to Darrell Etherington about building and shipping the kit.
TSLA
Tesla Semi: the automaker hired several engineers from Daimler’s ‘SuperTruck’ program
Electrek has learned that Tesla hired several key engineers who previously worked on Daimler’s SuperTruck program, which is particularly interesting now that we know Tesla is working on its own truck: ‘Tesla Semi’. Over the past year, several engineers from the program joined Tesla, most recently Evan Chenoweth, who worked on the design of Daimler SuperTruck’s hybrid engine since the inception of the progran, has joined Tesla last month as a Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer.
Tesla (TSLA) is fighting 4 different lawsuits from stockholders over the SolarCity merger, may affect timeline
In an updated SEC filing this morning, Tesla (TSLA) disclosed that it is fighting 4 different lawsuits filed by stockholders between September 1, 2016 and September 14, 2016, over the SolarCity (SCTY) merger. The procedures could potentially delay the deal by pushing the date for a vote on the merger... Tesla believes that the claims are “without merit”.
Other News
Three Brothers Seek to Overtake Tesla With Souped-Up Plug-In Cars
Auto executives are traveling to a remote Austrian town where three brothers are designing electric cars they say can go faster and further than anything made by Tesla Motors Inc. Kreisel Electric GmbH says it’s fielding 20 inquiries a day from automotive icons including BMW AG, Mclaren Automotive Ltd. and Volkswagen AG. They’re asking the Kreisel brothers for help negotiating a U-turn away from fossil fuels to join the electric-vehicle revolution.