Tesla cuts prices in the U.S. and Europe

Near as I can tell, we don't have these in the USA Model 3. Perhaps in China but I think every USA produced car has a trinary chemistry battery. Even the 4680s which remain in short supply while manufacturing gets tuned.

Bob Wilson

 

I was under the impression that they switch all their standard range EV's to LFP (Aka: LiFePo4).

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-battery-switch-lifepo-standard-range/

 

While not directly related, Doug Demuro talks about "Why Tesla car values have dropped so fast".

He makes pretty fair points and is about what I expected if you have been following it at all. One major point is that the recent price drops by Tesla will put further downward pressure on used prices. I hope nobody here was planning on 'flipping' their Tesla...because it looks like that time has passed.

 

From the article, my understanding is this is a just a China initiative:

In a move to offer reduced-cost Model 3s to the Chinese market, Tesla started offering its base Model 3 with an LFP battery pack.​

I am pretty sure Tesla is still using trinary chemistry especially from recent teardowns of 4680 cells.

Bob Wilson

 

At a recent fellowship meeting, a salesman at a reseller told me they took a $12,000 loss on the Teslas on their lot.

Bob Wilson

 

Yes but the article you mentioned is from 2020, when Tesla got approval in China.
Then the other article says in 2021 Tesla started putting LFP batteries an ALL standard range models.

I'm not saying that I can verify the accuracy of the article or that things haven't changed between 2021 and now, but an article from a year before doesn't help disprove that Tesla is possibly using LFP batteries right here in the United States of A.

 

As far as I can see, used Tesla are still expensive

 

Looking at cost alone (ignoring impact on the environment, service convenience, etc), it is initial cost difference. taxes, maintenance and depreciation that seems to matter. Not energy cost.

I've spent ~$515 a year on energy on a '19 Rav4 hybrid limited. A cost I could partially offset by investing the difference (~$7k difference buying a current model Y lightly optioned even after deducting a $7500 tax credit I might get someday) in what I paid versus what I could have paid for another more expensive car.

Taxes (both sales and property) would have been higher for the more expensive car.

Insurance too.

My depreciation has been ~$430 a year so far over 3.5 years and ~26,000 miles. A '20 MYLR would have had zero depreciation and maybe $1k appreciation after two years based on buying at today's after tax prices but KBB hasn't factored in the effect of the reduced prices into that calculation and I used a MY20 Tesla and not my MY19 Toyota.

Maintenance costs are probably $400 a year going forward since the warranty and free services have expired. Icoukld have bought a 8 year warranty from Toyota for $1200 but I didn't. Teslas will possibly be lower.

Tires are perhaps ~$80 each tire cheaper compared to a MYLR. Same tire.

No charger or electrical modification costs because it isn't a plug in. Savings $3600 or so and invested.

 

what is this 'other hybrid'?

 

"That move worked so well for Tesla that now, according to its 2021 Q3 shareholder deck (PDF), released Wednesday, it's moving to LFP chemistry for all of its standard-range vehicles around the world." - Oct2021 Cnet article.

Filing for the first quarter 2021 stated most of the standard range 3 and Y were LFP, and also stationary packs. I recall earlier reports that Tesla had started importing some Model 3s with LFP to help with the waiting lists in the US. The owner's manual has directions on how to find out which chemistry is in the car.
Tesla now uses cheaper batteries in half of its new cars - NotebookCheck.net News
High Voltage Battery Information

 

Install something like a 14-50 outlet. And then buy a charger that plugs into that.
You can then take the charger (actually EVSE) with you

Mike

 

But do they make pluggable EVSE's that are outdoor rated? (And do they make 240V outdoor outlets?)

 

Yes

 

The guy on the Flying Wheels YouTube channel makes a similar point. Dealers are underwater on their floorplan financing

 

House prices are falling in many areas. Cars too especially used cars. As inflation and interest payments take their toll on household budgets.

Even my little town with at least a half dozen new plants in the building stage promising thousands of jobs has suffered a 1% drop in house sale prices per Zillow.

 

am i reading this right? they went up 45% and came down 10%, and they call it a crash?

The steep plunge in used car prices -- what it means, and what's ahead

 

people keepposting tesla price crashing, but never link to examples

 

I appreciate the quote from the Tesla Owner's Manual but this source suggests something else:
Exclusive: Tesla in talks to use CATL's cobalt-free batteries in China-made cars - sources | Reuters

AUTOS FEBRUARY 18, 20201
Exclusive: Tesla in talks to use CATL's cobalt-free batteries in China-made cars - sources
By Zhang Yan, Yilei Sun, Brenda Goh

Beijing (Reuters) - Tesla TSLA.O is in advanced stages of talks to use batteries from CATL 300750.SZ that contain no cobalt - one of the most expensive metals in electric vehicle (EV) batteries - in cars made at its China plant, people familiar with the matter said.
. . .​

There exists a YouTube video that also shows another way to tell:

Then I found this source:
What Batteries Are Tesla Using In Its Electric Cars?

I've asked my 'go to' Tesla forum about the mix of LFP and NMC cells in production Teslas.

Bob Wilson

 

I think the plan was to always use LFP in the Chinese SR+/RWD.

"The entry-level Tesla Model 3 evolves, as the company switches all its Standard Range cars to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry globally.

In late August, we saw reports that the LFP battery option appeared in the U.S. (initially as a direct notification for customers) and in November, the company updated its website with the Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) that replaced the Standard Range Plus (SR+)."
Watch Tesla Model 3 RWD With LFP Battery Get Delivered In U.S.

That report was from Nov 2021.