Tesla offers $7,500 discount and free Supercharging in year-end push

Tesla has raised its prices multiple times in 2022, but buyers that held out hope for better days may be rewarded. The automaker is offering free charging for anyone taking delivery between December 21 and 31, and buyers of the Model 3 and Model Y get an additional $7,500 “credit.”

Tesla’s website makes it exceedingly difficult to find the custom configuration option, requiring buyers to sort through the existing inventory before the link can be found. That’s likely for the best because it’s the surest way to take advantage of Tesla’s offer. Wait times for some of its models extend months, though Model 3 times have tightened considerably, and all configurations state delivery before the end of the year.

Discounts on Tesla models extend across North America, as Canadian and Mexican buyers see similar messages when visiting the site. The automaker is offering CAD $5,000 to Canadians and MXN 73,750 to Mexicans. Both get 10,000 kilometers of free Supercharging. Those discounts significantly soften the financial impact of buying a new Tesla but don’t erase the price increases seen over the past year.

In early 2021, the Model 3 Standard Range model could be had for around $37,000. That price started climbing and ended 2021 at about $45,000. The rear-drive Standard Range Model 3 starts at $46,990 today, and that’s before choosing a color other than white or silver or adding Autopilot for $6,000 or the automaker’s “Full Self-Driving” function for $15,000.

Tesla’s vehicles aren’t currently eligible for federal tax credits, but that’s changing in January, which could soften demand until the rules change. Offering a $7,500 price break now effectively equalizes the price of a new Model 3 or Model Y before and after the tax credit rules shift. (The Model S and X won't be eligible, as they exceed the tax credit's price limitations.) The automaker’s vehicles haven’t been eligible for tax credits after passing the previous program’s 200,000-unit threshold. However, that will change on January 1, and the Model 3 and Y will for a time be eligible for the full $7,500 tax credit again, at least while the Treasury Department sorts out its guidance on the new legislation’s raw materials sourcing requirements.