With the Model 3 and Y continuing to dominate sales, Tesla has decided to give its premium models a small boost in China. Discounts equivalent to around $5,000 have now been applied to the Model S and X, per a new graphic posted by Tesla China. Prices for the Long Range variants of each now start at ¥773,900 ($106,690) and ¥863,900 ($119,097) respectively. Meanwhile, the Plaid versions of the S and X come in at ¥1,028,900 ($141,844) and ¥1,013,900 ($139,776).
As well as the aforementioned discounts, Tesla also announced a string of new incentives for Model S and X buyers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Buyers who refer someone else can now get points for free Supercharging. Meanwhile, the person referred can get three years of free supercharging and 90 days of Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) access.
It’s not too surprising to see the Model S and X getting price reductions. It’s no secret sales are slipping, with increased competition from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lucid eating away at Tesla’s luxury market share. The S and X are also fundamentally old vehicles, with a facelift in 2021 doing little to hide their age.
Clearly, Tesla has its priorities elsewhere as it looks to become more of a mainstream, volume automaker. This was evident by Tesla’s controversial decision not to bother with right-hand drive versions of the Model S and X. Hence potential buyers in the UK and Ireland can only order left-hand drive versions of the S and X, meanwhile there are no plans to import any Model S and X units to Australia and Japan.
It will be interesting to see if the S and X get discontinued entirely in the next year or so. Room has to be made for the Cybertruck, Semi, and long-awaited $25,000 “budget” Tesla. As for the Roadster, we wouldn’t hold our breath. A low-volume $200,000 supercar certainly won’t help revenue much and could be a significant drain on resources. That said, it could still come to fruition. After all, it would give Elon Musk something new to brag about on Twitter…
