Photo: YouTube screenshot
Until the Model 3 arrives, Tesla is a company that does not sell cheap cars. In fact, it could be argued that even after the smaller sedan becomes available, describing it as "cheap" or "accessible" would be an insult to those who still buy $20,000 cars.
Well, $35,000 is rather low in the world of electric vehicles, especially considering the kind of technology promised would be found on board the new model. And when you look at the price of the company's previous vehicles, you could risk straining your neck from leaning your head too far back.
Averaging the cost of Model X SUVs bought in the US you get a very steep $125,000, but doing the same for the Model S will only reveal a $28,000 difference. Despite having plenty of less expensive versions in the more recent years, people preferred to get the luxury sedan in its top specs more often than not.
That's not surprising in itself, but what is worth mulling over a little is the income gap between owners of the two types of EVs. On average, Model X owners have a $503,000 yearly household income, which would explain why they can afford a $125,000 (or more) electric SUV.
Model S owners on the other hand, while not exactly beggars themselves, are almost halfway there with their $276,000 yearly income. Considering there's only a $28,000 variation between the average cost of the two vehicles, this does show something.
It's a testament to the commitment of those early adopters who had no problem shelling out for an expensive car despite putting a strain on their budget. These are the people who would have never spent $100,000 on a normal car, but were willing to do it because it was electric. OK, and because it accelerated like crazy.
The study, which was carried out by Teslarati on 500 Tesla owners, reservation holders or simply enthusiasts, also covered the upcoming Model 3. Unsurprisingly, those who made a deposit on the new model fell into a completely separate category.
If Model S and Model X owners are both 53 years of age on average, Model 3 reservation holders are ten years younger. They also have much more modest incomes at $160,000 per household per year and expect to pay just over $48,000 on their future vehicle.
Averaging the cost of Model X SUVs bought in the US you get a very steep $125,000, but doing the same for the Model S will only reveal a $28,000 difference. Despite having plenty of less expensive versions in the more recent years, people preferred to get the luxury sedan in its top specs more often than not.
That's not surprising in itself, but what is worth mulling over a little is the income gap between owners of the two types of EVs. On average, Model X owners have a $503,000 yearly household income, which would explain why they can afford a $125,000 (or more) electric SUV.
Model S owners on the other hand, while not exactly beggars themselves, are almost halfway there with their $276,000 yearly income. Considering there's only a $28,000 variation between the average cost of the two vehicles, this does show something.
It's a testament to the commitment of those early adopters who had no problem shelling out for an expensive car despite putting a strain on their budget. These are the people who would have never spent $100,000 on a normal car, but were willing to do it because it was electric. OK, and because it accelerated like crazy.
The study, which was carried out by Teslarati on 500 Tesla owners, reservation holders or simply enthusiasts, also covered the upcoming Model 3. Unsurprisingly, those who made a deposit on the new model fell into a completely separate category.
If Model S and Model X owners are both 53 years of age on average, Model 3 reservation holders are ten years younger. They also have much more modest incomes at $160,000 per household per year and expect to pay just over $48,000 on their future vehicle.
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