Tesla Model X Goes On Sale -- August 5, 2017

From a reader: has anyone noticed that since President Obama left office there have been no instances of the 5:00 p.m. Friday night news dump? That was something the previous administration perfected. Not one instance of a Friday evening news dump since January 20, 2017.

However, having said that, this is priceless.

Tesla announces that it has put its Model X on sale. Great, great news. One would have expected a great marketer like Musk Melon to make that announcement on a Monday morning. But the story supposedly was posted late Friday afternoon, though it appears no one saw it until now. It was not mentioned on CNBC.

The news: Tesla lowers the price of of its Model X, saying margins have improved. LOL. Over at Reuters.

Just when Tesla needs more cash for the ramp-up in Model 3 production, they cut the price of Model X. Just the other day, Musk Melon implored Tesla buyers "to keep buying the Model X and the Model S to help pay for the model 3."

Here's the lede:

Tesla Inc on Friday lowered the base price of its Model X SUV to $79,500 and said improving margins were behind the move, which came as the automaker is ramping up production of its new lower-priced Model 3.

Some analysts have been concerned that the launch of the Model 3, whose base price is $35,000, would steer some potential buyers away from the Model X SUV to that lower-priced sedan.

But Chief Executive Elon Musk said earlier this week that demand had not waned for the luxury electric sport-utility vehicle.

"When we launched Model X 75D, it had a low gross margin. As we've achieved efficiencies, we are able to lower the price and pass along more value to our customers," Tesla in a statement on Friday announcing it had lowered the previous $82,500 starting price of the vehicle by $3,000.

I tried to see the difference between the Model X and the Model S -- almost no difference. Likewise, it's hard to see the difference between these two high-end models and the Model 3. Except for the price: $100,000 vs $45,000.  Except now the luxury SUV is $3,000 cheaper. LOL.

By the way, according to The Motley Fool:

Nevertheless, Tesla found another way to outdo GM. A second version of the Model 3 will have a generous 310 miles of range: even more than most of Tesla's pricier vehicles.

The extra 90 miles of range represents a big boost in utility, so most potential buyers would be likely to prefer this option. The catch: it costs $9,000 for this upgrade, which is the only Model 3 version that Tesla will build until at least November.

Other options packages will also add significantly to the Model 3's price. A $5,000 package upgrades the interior to something more in keeping with luxury car standards.

It costs another $1,500 if you want 19" wheels instead of the standard 18" wheels, $1,000 for a color other than black, and $5,000 to activate Autopilot.

An extra $3,000 will unlock "full self-driving" capabilities -- once regulators give the green light.

Thus, a fully loaded Model 3 would cost nearly $60,000 today. This doesn't even include future upgrades like a dual-motor configuration and "Ludicrous" mode, which will undoubtedly cost even more.

So many stories on so many levels, but I need to move on.

Except one: as for Musk Melon's assertion that demand had not waned for the luxury electric SUV, check out the numbers for yourself: the Model X has had a precipitous fall in deliveries month-over-month.  Last year, Model X had two months of 3,000+ deliveries; so far this year, none. In fact, this year (2017) Tesla Model X did not even crack 1,000 deliveries in three of the first four months. And unlike most car sales, Tesla sales are not "seasonal" or "promotional." These cars are ordered "ahead of time" and there are no end-of-month incentives, or end-of-year incentives.