It’s so hard to get hold of a Tesla in Australia that even the EV maker is reportedly trying to sell demo models for more than it is selling them new.
In one of the strangest turn of events we’ve heard to date, one customer who is on the wait list for a 2022 Tesla Model 3 says she has been offered a demo one for more than she is paying for her new car.
Wait times for new Tesla cars currently sit at least eight months for a new Model 3 or Model Y.
With supply of Tesla cars delayed due to Covid lockdowns in China, and EVs from other brands constrained due to a decade of anti-EV sentiment from the prior Coalition government, this has seen used car values for Model 3s blow out in what has been dubbed a “stunning failure of policy.”
The customer, who has declined to be named, says she got a call from Tesla offering a demo vehicle, which had 1,300km on the clock but which she could receive immediately.
However, the price Tesla was offering was higher than she’d be paying for the one she is set to receive in August.
“Lol funny story today,” she said in an online owner’s forum.
“Tesla called me and said they had a demo Model 3 available very soon if I wanted to take that one. It had about 1,300km on it already so I asked if it would be sold a bit discounted given it’s not brand new.”
“Nope, and it was even more expensive than our order since prices have gone up again so for even more than I’m paying we could get a non-brand new car!” she wrote.
The answer was a firm thanks, but no thanks.
“I politely said thanks, I don’t think so but thought ‘they’re dreaming!’
The customer’s purchase agreement, which The Driven has sighted, shows the price she is paying for her new car is $59,900 before on-road costs. Living in the ACT which has generous incentives for purchasing EVs including no stamp duty and two years’ free registration, this means her driveaway price is just under $64,000.
This includes $1,500 for optional blue metallic paint, plus a $1,375 delivery free, $350 order fee, $5,738.64 GST, $428 CTP and $192 registration costs (according to the ACT Access website, “If you are eligible, the waiver will only apply to the registration component of vehicle registration fees. All other relevant fees, charges, or levies related to registering a vehicle will remain, such as the annual cost of Motor Accident Injuries Insurance.”)
While The Driven cannot confirm the pricing for the demo Model 3 via the Tesla website (as it appears the EV maker’s local staff are selling them over the phone as fast as they can), the customer says she was told the demo vehicle was “showing up at the current price.”
The customer said she was offered the same configuration she’d pre-orderd, including the metallic blue paint.
Tesla prices rose for the third time in 2022 only last Friday – a week after the Model Y went on sale.
The Model 3 is currently available in three variants: the RWD, the Long Range and the Performance. The most affordable one is currently priced from $65,500 before on-roads, while the Long Range is $80,000 and the Performance is $91,600.
Purchasing a new RWD Model 3 in the ACT now puts the driveaway pricing at $67,855.
Many fellow forum members were in solid agreement with the customer, but others thought she should have grabbed the opportunity to get a Model 3 sooner.
“That demo car was made long before the prices went up,” said one commenter.
“Two weeks of driving vs twelve week wait. I know what I would choose. Especially if I had an ice car,” another countered.
Some said she should have bought it and on-sold it.
“Are you aware 2nd had models with way more klms are being sold for more than brand new right now? I’d love to have had your opportunity, I’d pay a few grand more to have my car delivered today with 1200klms rather than wait a year,” said one.
“Buy the damn car and flip it rather than complain, someone will buy it for more than you’re being asked to pay,” another added.
Having ordered hers in January when Tesla Model 3 pricing was at its lowest point, the customer says she is more than happy to wait a little longer.
“My Model 3 is due around August to November after January order. I’ve waited this long, I’ll wait a bit longer for a brand new car for the lowest price that’s been available,” she wrote.
“I do feel it was unreasonable to offer a used car without some kind of incentive so I decided to wait for my new one.”
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.