Tesla Price Drop

[LongLive959]

That being said. I am very tired of the brand and its CEO. They’re basically pulling an Acura and becoming, ummmm, maybe kinda sorta luxury on paper (leather, check, higher price than Toyota, check…..anything else?)

 

[f1eng]

Moot for me.

Model S no longer available in UK spec
Model 3 no tailgate for dog, otherwise quite nice.
Model X no longer available in UK spec
Model Y bigger than I need and ugly, to my eye.

 

[mikezhang31]

I can only speak for myself but I am not impressed by any brand particularly and whilst a Porsche has made it onto my short list several times in the last 30 years the Taycan is the only one which made the top spot in the end.

I was looking for a quiet comfortable non-SUV with a good turn of speed when I wanted it. I already had a sports car otherwise I wouldn’t have considered anything so big and heavy.

The only alternative with a look in was a Bentley but the handling and throttle response of the Taycan were in a different league. It was an easy choice.

I am similar. I needed a non suv for our two dogs because one of them is too old to climb in and out of my range rover (90lb anatolian shepard and 60lb german shorthaired) and enough utility to haul my mountain bike.

While there, I also live in a mini american version of the rhine valley / moselle river region of germany so I want my car to be fast and fun on my daily drive. Having a sports car on the side means I dont need good engine note, etc.

That only left me with the audi rs6, e63 (too ugly) and the taycan. EV was never decision maker for me but there is certainly a lot of plus to ownership like paying 1/3 of my usual fuel cost, lower maintenance, etc

 

[Redhot2474]

I think it will sway some Porsche Taycan buyers to the Plaid version of the model S. These are electric cars and Porsche cannot sustain continpushy increasing prices on the Taycans.

It’s a different buyer, I don’t think people wanting the Porsche pedigree, distinction, and driving experience are cross shopping Teslas , if anything people like me graduated from a Tesla to Porsche

 

[Redhot2474]

Agree with the comment that Porsche and Tesla are on two different levels. However Porsche is still overpriced. Too many options that should be standard . I don’t regret paying 168k for my sport turismo GTS but it is not worth twice the price of a model S long range if money is a consideration.

I’d agree with this. Lots of need to say it’s “much better” because of course , we paid a shit ton more $ for it , it ain’t worth double - that’s for sure

 

[Chas1]

The OP's topic is would we see a Taycan price drop given heated competition from other EV makers such as Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid if I may add, as all I see are these almost daily feeds about price decreases and building up inventory and amped up negativity about EVs in general, and then some real people stories that bought an EV and then took off on a cross country trip with no chargers, clearly not matching their needs.

I am not sure how many Taycan buyers are looking at it as EV first if compared for price/range/network alone which is a quick losing proposition, so to me Taycan is in a different league and there is a lot of explaining has to go on by the dealer to do so. Also, my dealer has only one RWD for sale and I am not even sure how long it takes to get one new to order, I waited 13 months for mine, so this whole game of price cuts by others will not be played by Porche, if they know of buyers like myself, and actually they did say they will do another price increase this fall, so wait for that. I also do not think they are afraid to price up Macan EV high enough regardless of being so late with its release, but my SA said that their super excited customer base of 40 dropped down to 4 buyers who are in for the first Macan EV purchase.

The price drops are real by others, and I see so many new EVs around with Tesla overwhelming the area, but also, I see different Rivians and Ionics every day with very happy drivers. I also saw a few different Lucid sedans in the summer but not recently. I welcome that and wave at the Rivian drivers and some wave back. However, my impression, anywhere I go, no one really sees my Taycan as an EV, it looks like an exotic car and they do not know what it is and try to figure it out by going around and looking at what the back says, or may be it is the stunning color, not sure.

Interesting I’ve had people wandering around on several occasions, ‘oh it’s a Porsche’ - and in uk EV’s have a green flash on left side of number plate - so comments are then ‘oh it’s electric too’. Overwhelmingly positive reactions.

 

[Chas1]

Moot for me.

Model S no longer available in UK spec
Model 3 no tailgate for dog, otherwise quite nice.
Model X no longer available in UK spec
Model Y bigger than I need and ugly, to my eye.

I don’t mind Tesla Model S but in UK it’s not a consideration. I need a hatch back, Model Y ? Too like an egg imo, what else compares to the Taycan? Mercedes EQS may be but never been a fan of the current design aesthetic. Taycan chooses itself really. One other thing that for me returning to the Porsche brand has impressed has been great service. I know they charge for it but it’s done very well indeed. You certainly don’t get that with a Tesla of any kind.

 

[LongLive959]

It’s also tough because what else is there? Merc and BMW have basically decided looks don’t matter. Polestar is still a one horse show….interested to see what the 5 actually is in production form. The Koreans are nice…but going down market has its share of drawbacks. I’ve been agonizing for the past couple of months, and this price cut makes it harder. I’d happily jump to an RS6, but just can’t go back to gas

 

[gnop1950]

It’s a different buyer, I don’t think people wanting the Porsche pedigree, distinction, and driving experience are cross shopping Teslas , if anything people like me graduated from a Tesla to Porsche

Exactly right in my case. If I hadn't bought a Taycan I would have probably bought a 911 (and I may still do so at some point if I can talk my wife around). I did look at Tesla's but decided they simply were not something I was interested in buying, or driving on a regular basis.

I'm really not convinced that there are all that many people that cross-shop Tesla and Porsche. I'm not an "EV" person and it took a Taycan to convince me to buy one.

 

[Archimedes]

There are people that get Porsche and those that don’t. Those that do are willing to pay for it. Those that don’t, aren’t. It’s not a right or wrong thing. Just personal preferences.

 

[Jonathan S.]

I confess that the Model S would have tempted me aside from all its other drawbacks had it just been equipped with an HUD and adjustable regen … although now that I wrote that, I see that after previously allowing adjustable regen yet then eliminating it during the roughly three-year period when it was eliminated that included a family test drive, now it’s returned this spring.

But still, what an easy ordering process compared to the Taycan allocation routine or tracking down a used model that meets your build spec.
After reading this thread, I looked out of curiosity, and with a few clicks I could have a new Model S in my ideal build (that would be my favorite exterior color, favorite interior color, and the smaller of the two wheel sizes - no other choices, hah!), bike out to Dedham MA then drive home with a Model S.
But that would mean I’d be driving a Tesla…

Personal preferences aside though, even if something like only five percent of potential Taycan buyers defect to the Model S, that it still a huge impact on Taycan demand from a market dynamics perspective.
Given that open allocations are rare, probably unlikely to see any discounts anytime soon, although the corporate cousin etron GT is already there.

Same discussion on i4 forum re prior discounts for Model 3 and Y.

 

[LongLive959]

I agree 100%

I’ve decided the best route for me is scoping out the used Taycan market rather than even considering a new Plaid.

but oh man, I need to sit down with a pen and pad and jot down all the options I need/want. It’s quite a bit….I saw the perfect car, only to realize after a few minutes of excitement that it didn’t have the performance battery….same with a few other cars with almost everything except something else I almost missed.

BUT that is one of the reasons for getting the Taycan. You can customize it how you like. The reason you can click and collect a Plaid is because it has two options…..1 of 5 colours, and two wheel options

 

[Jonathan S.]

^ I created a spreadsheet for all sixty something used 4CT that were for sale in the U.S. I thought my min build was pretty basic but I found only two for sale. I was surprised that so many owners spec lots of expensive cosmetic options yet go light on the ADAS and related tech. I realize it’s a Porsche, but still, it’s an EV, not the 911.
I ended buying one that had my min spec plus lots of other options I valued … plus lots of other options of zero value to me. But still a good deal, plus I could tell my wife that I got a 29% discount off the original MSRP and 33% off the current MSRP!

 

[violuma]

I was surprised that so many owners spec lots of expensive cosmetic options yet go light on the ADAS and related tech. I realize it’s a Porsche, but still, it’s an EV, not the 911.

I probably fit in that demo, and here comes the part of the post where I embarrass myself by blowing decades of dust off my undergraduate economics degree. At the time, Adam Smith's supply and demand was taught as the greatest single economic insight, but I have always been more of a Ricardo fan.

I want to give Porsche money to do things that I think Porsche does a relatively good job of doing, and I want to put money elsewhere when it comes to things that I think Porsche does a relatively bad job of.

That means I speced air suspension and rear-axle steering and a Race-Tex interior and eschewed Innodrive and all of the quasi-autonomous ADAS stuff. I think that gives me greater ROI (in a utility/$ sense, not a residual value "what will the next owner value?" one).

 

[Jhenson29]

I was surprised that so many owners spec lots of expensive cosmetic options yet go light on the ADAS and related tech. I realize it’s a Porsche, but still, it’s an EV, not the 911.

I don’t think my wife even knows how to turn the regular cruise control on.

But she said having sport design front was required/non-negotiable.