The Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Tesla
No modern car company is better-known for advancing technology than Tesla. Inside one of Elon Musk’s vehicles, you can stream Netflix on a massive touchscreen while you wait for the car to recharge, then switch to Autopilot on the highway for a hands-free ride home. For a company like Tesla, dumping the AM/FM radio to cut costs does not exactly scream innovation.
The radio is just one feature that Tesla has left out of two new cars in the name of affordability. Earlier this week, the company released the Model 3 Standard and Model Y Standard, two long-awaited, less expensive cars that are heavily pared-down versions of the company’s best sellers. The “vegan leather” seats are now partially cloth. The sound system isn’t as nice, and the side-view mirrors now have to be manually folded. Cheaper shock absorbers mean a harsher ride. Compared with their more nicely equipped siblings, these new cars are more Temu than Tesla. (Tesla and Musk did not respond to a request for comment.)
Auto-industry observers and casual car-shoppers alike have wanted cheaper Teslas, but on the pricing front, the new models are a letdown. At about $37,000 for the streamlined Model 3 and $40,000 for the Model Y, each car represents a mere $5,000 in savings over the “premium” version. Even some of Musk’s biggest fans are underwhelmed. Before this cost-cutting fiasco, Tesla already was having a rough go of it. Musk’s bromance with President Donald Trump has turned away many would-be Tesla buyers. And although Musk might love the Cybertruck and its supposedly bulletproof doors, judging by its sales, many Americans do not. With Tesla’s newest cars, so many of Musk’s decisions are now catching up to him all at once.