I currently have a 2021 Model Y that I bought at the bottom of the panic. I had an i4 e40 on order but switched it to an e35 to get the tax credit pass through on the lease. Based on my calc, the cost over the next 3 years will be identical (depreciation, cost of money, insurance).
Would you get the new i4 e35 or keep the Model Y. For reference, I’ve had an i4 e40 and really liked the car. I know the e35 is slower but I’ve read that it doesn’t “feel” much slower. Also, because the i4 lease is only reasonable due to the tax credit (crappy residual), I ordered a pretty base version. So my i4 has arguably a more refined interior but less features. The MY has a more spartan interior but better tech. I also have a T4R that I can use for moving larger items.
i4 - guaranteed residual, free EA charging, better driving experience, less common
MY - longer range, better tech, safer (?)
Have you tried non-Tesla charging stations?
Do a lot of road trips or charging away from home? If you do, you know the pain of EA, ChargePoint and EVGo…
Interestingly enough, I’ve owned a Model S, and 2 Model 3’s, in addition to this Model Y. But I haven’t taken any of them on a road trip (I did use Supercharging locally with the Model S because it was free). I’ve taken road trips in my ETron, ID4, i4, and Mach E and I would agree that EA is a pain in the arse. But it was manageable. I don’t take many road trips but I was looking forward to trying Tesla Autopilot on my next trip.
While I don’t think there is a significant risk of massive depreciation in the Model Y, I do think it’s possible:
-I believe Tesla will build as many cars as it can possibly build and price them at whatever price needed to sell them all. They can afford to do so with their margins.
-If Tesla is able to achieve more cost reductions in production, they will have even more room for price adjustments.
-Tesla is expected to introduce a new version of the Model 3 and Model Y that may put some pressure on older models
-When overall production is massively increased, I don’t know if Teslas will hold their value as well as they have been holding
-Btw, I own a fair amount of Tesla stock and intend to hold on for the long haul.
So even though I think the total cost over the next 3 years will be the same between my MY and the i4, there is some risk that MY depreciates faster than I expect.
Did someone explicitly tell you that you weren’t getting the $7500 lease cash on the e40? The commercial EV tax credit doesn’t have any applicable final assembly or MSRP restrictions. It should also get $7500 on the lease.
Imo, outside of driving dynamics, the i4 will be inferior in every possible way, and you’ll likely lose more money than just holding the modelY. I own a modelY and I test drove an ix m50 and was extremely underwhelmed, even as a German car fanboy. I’m guessing thei4 will be even worse
