For a few days, social networks and large media such as Bloomberg have been reporting Tesla’s information, indicating the preparation of the China Gigafactory to begin exporting Model 3 units to other markets. It will possibly open the doors to receive a cheaper model that some are even beginning to speculate it will have a very competitive price.
According to the Australian portal The Driven, using figures based on a Tesla price estimator and industry knowledge of shipping costs and tariff costs, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus manufactured in Shanghai could reach 57,000 Australian dollars. This would represent a reduction of almost 23% compared to the current cost in this market.
This would undoubtedly be a blow by a Tesla with a Model 3 that is the most competitive economically compared to other proposals. Of course, this price would substantially impact the rest of the electricity supply, and that would see how the competition from Tesla would force the market to take a step back in as for costs.
Another possibility would be for Tesla to take advantage of this margin to add the Autopilot with Autonomous Driving as standard. It would mean maintaining prices and saving the 7,000 dollars that this function costs and still with some margin to slightly lower the set’s price.
A movement that Tesla would have no problem replicating with the Model Y would undoubtedly be of great concern to traditional groups that have abandoned the sedan segment by betting on profitable SUVs. A determined bet that will mean in 2021 the arrival of a wide range of new models, both from Renault, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, that would have to face a Model Y with a demolition price challenging to match.
Something that will happen sooner or later, either with the arrival of the units from China, or from those that will leave the factory in Germany, which also threaten to achieve significant profitability and margins due to lower logistics costs, tariffs, an increase in the economy of scale that they will bring.