Do you want a Tesla? Then hurry up. The big made in USA of electric cars, the most capitalized car maker in the world, has adjusted prices for the second time in the space of a week, justifying it with the increase in costs reflecting the dizzying increases in raw materials. The entry level Model 3 in the United States now costs 47 thousand dollars (46,990, if we want to be picky). The Austin, Texas-based company raised its prices by 3% to 5% in both the United States and China, Crédit Suisse analyst Dan Levy said in a note to customers.
Musk tweeted (it’s also a dangerous passion of his, which got him in trouble with the Sec, the American stock exchange authority) earlier this week that both Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies were facing “significant inflation. »Due to the spiral of increases in raw materials and the difficulties experienced by logistics. After all, the S&P Gsci index, a commodity market benchmark, rose 20% in the first five days of the month, the steepest weekly gain since 1970.
As mentioned this is Tesla’s second round of price hikes in the past week. The company revised its listing of some versions of the Model 3 and Model Y on March 9 in the US, followed by an increase for vehicles built in China, which is Tesla’s second largest market (after the US), on March 10.
Tesla, which on March 22 will churn out in the presence of Elon Musk the first car from the Gruenheide factory , costing 5 billion and waiting for the long-postponed debut (the opening was scheduled for 1 July 2021) due to bureaucratic hitches and obstacles created by local communities and environmental associations (especially for the feared consumption of water).
In 2021 Tesla delivered 936,172 vehicles worldwide, equal to + 87% compared to sales in 2020. A growth that has alarmed its German premium rivals (BMW, Mercedes-Benz), which produce around 2 million vehicles per year. year. Mercedes-Benz, which intends to invest an additional 40 billion in the electrification race, will open a 1 billion battery plant in Alabama this week and will soon expand the range with two new luxury electric SUVs, the latest move to challenge Tesla.