London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

0:00
0:00

Tesla slashes prices globally by as much as 20 percent

Tesla has slashed prices globally on its electric vehicles by as much as 20 percent, extending an aggressive discounting strategy and challenging rivals after missing Wall Street delivery estimates for 2022.

The move was announced after CEO Elon Musk warned that the prospect of a recession and higher interest rates meant the company could lower prices to sustain volume growth at the expense of profit.

Tesla shares were down 3.6 percent on Friday.

Musk acknowledged last year that prices had become “embarrassingly high” and could hurt demand.

The lower pricing across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa following a series of cuts last week in Asia marked a reversal from the strategy the carmaker had pursued through much of 2021 and 2022 when new vehicle orders exceeded supply.

“Competition is coming and they are responding with price cuts,” said Thomas Hayes, chairman and managing member at Great Hill Capital.

The cuts may make electric cars affordable to people who may have been previously priced out of the market especially as buyers in the US and France will be eligible for certain government tax credits.

The US price cuts on its global top-sellers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover SUV, were between 6 percent and 20 percent, Reuters calculations showed, with the basic Model Y now costing $52,990, down from $65,990.

Tesla also cut prices on its Model X luxury crossover SUV and Model S sedan in the US.

For a US buyer of the long-range Model Y, the new Tesla price combined with the US subsidy amounts to a discount of 31 percent. In addition, the move broadened the vehicles in Tesla’s line-up eligible for a US federal tax credit of up to $7,500, which took effect on January 1.

Before the price cut, the five-seat version of the Model Y had been ineligible, which Musk called “messed-up”. After the price cut, the long-range version of the Model Y will qualify.

In France, customers buying the Model 3 for 44,990 euros ($48,570) will now get a further reduction through a government subsidy of 5,000 euros ($5,400) on an electric vehicle scheme with a threshold of 47,000 euros ($50,8580).

In Germany, it lopped from about 1 percent to almost 17 percent off prices on the Model 3 and the Model Y. The best-selling Model Y will now go for 44,890 euros ($48,499), down by 9,100 euros ($9,850). A reduction in cost inflation was also a factor in reducing prices in its top European market, a spokesperson for Tesla Germany said without specifying which costs had fallen.

It also reduced prices in Austria, Switzerland and France.



‘Shot across bow’

Shares fell as investors worried the move might erode bumper margins that the company had been earning, particularly as competition intensified, even if it were to boost sales volumes.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said the move could boost global deliveries by 12 to 15 percent this year and shows Musk is on the offensive.

“This is a clear shot across the bow at European automakers and US stalwarts [GM and Ford] that Tesla is not going to play nice in the sandbox with an EV price war now under way,” Ives said in a research note.

“Margins will get hit on this, but we like this strategic poker move by Musk and Tesla,” he wrote.

US carmakers General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co fell 4.9 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively, making them among the biggest losers on the broad-market S&P 500 Index, while in Europe, Stellantis NV fell 3.9 percent and Volkswagen AG dropped 2.8 percent.



‘Punch in the gut’

Tesla fans and customers complained the price cuts disadvantaged those who had recently bought a vehicle, leaving them with a lower second-hand value.

Greg Woodfill in Seattle, who bought a Model Y in December, had considered waiting until this year to get the US subsidy but was lured by a discount at the time of $3,750.

“It’s a punch in the gut, to be honest,” he told Reuters on Friday, adding that it feels unfair for Tesla to seek to boost its fourth-quarter sales with discounts, only to cut prices a month later.

“If they knew they would drop the price this much, they should have just done it in December,” he said.

In China, where Tesla cut prices last week by 6 to 13.5 percent, owners protested at delivery centres, calling for compensation.

For 2021, the US and China combined had accounted for about 75 percent of Tesla sales, but Europe’s sales share has been growing.

Tesla cut prices in China and other Asian markets last week, which analysts had said would boost demand and increase pressure on rivals, including BYD, to follow suit in what could become a price war in the largest single electric car market.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
×