Key Takeaways
1. Tesla is facing a significant sales slump, with a 17% decrease in US car deliveries in January compared to last year.
2. The company has introduced zero APR financing for the affordable Model Y Standard RWD to boost sales, but it hasn’t had the desired effect.
3. Tesla is offering a new AWD Model Y that is $7,000 less expensive than the Premium version, along with five different trim options.
4. The financing rates for the Premium RWD and Premium AWD trims have been reduced to 0.99% from 2.99%, aiming to stimulate interest.
5. Monthly payments for the Premium AWD trim are $674, while the base AWD version is $557 with zero-interest financing, which may complicate sales of the base trims.
Faced with a huge slump in sales and the first yearly revenue decline after the federal tax credit ended last year, Tesla is hastening its incentives program in an effort to improve its situation.
In January, Tesla delivered 17% fewer cars in the US than during the same month last year. The electric vehicle manufacturer is now rolling out an APR financing offer for its top-selling Model Y vehicle to create some excitement before it potentially reports another lackluster quarter that could threaten its high stock valuation.
New Financing Offers
When Tesla noticed that the affordable Model Y Standard RWD version was not performing as expected, it began providing it with zero APR financing in December. However, this strategy didn’t significantly boost holiday sales, as consumers were not inclined to purchase the stripped-down Model Y Standard, which has over 20 fewer features compared to its Premium counterpart, along with a considerably shorter driving range per charge.
Increased Options
In response, Tesla launched an AWD Model Y that is $7,000 less expensive than its long-range Premium version and is currently offering five different trims of the Model Y in the US.
The effectiveness of this new AWD Model Y is still uncertain since Tesla somewhat undermined it by introducing a 0.99% APR financing option for the Premium RWD and Premium AWD trims, down from a previous rate of 2.99%. This new financing offer applies to all terms except for the 84-month option, which remains at over 6% APR.
Monthly Payments
With the latest Model Y APR financing promotion, buyers can now obtain the Premium AWD trim for $674 per month after making a $3,300 down payment over a 72-month period at the 0.99% interest rate. In contrast, the least expensive AWD version costs $557 per month with its zero-interest financing, making the Premium Model Y seem more accessible, but this might complicate the sales of the base trims.










