On 7 September Tesla China abruptly announced price cuts through a limited-time purchase incentive, and a wave of owners who had only just taken delivery found themselves thousands of yuan underwater.
Under the policy, valid for orders placed and delivered by 30 September, the entire Model 3 lineup of in-stock cars carries a RMB 5,000 cash incentive, with some variants adding an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy. The entire Model Y lineup carries a RMB 10,000 cash incentive.
After all incentives, the Model 3 starts at RMB 222,500 and the Model Y at RMB 253,500. The temporary repricing quickly drew complaints from owners who had taken delivery recently.
One owner said they had taken delivery just 20 days earlier, only to see the price drop by more than RMB 10,000. A salesperson had verbally promised no near-term cut during the order stage. The sudden discount felt unacceptable, and some say they are preparing complaints or even legal action.
Chat screenshots show owners challenging store staff, who replied that the store itself had only received the repricing notice that same day and had no compensation plan for already-delivered buyers, promising to relay any future policy change.
Numerous buyers posted their purchase timelines, with some having owned the car only half a month before the discount arrived, mocking themselves as the unlucky ones who bought at the top. A Tesla salesperson told the media the cut was meant to lift sales, a quarter-end push for deliveries, and noted the company’s earnings are tied to quarterly volume.
Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original Sohu report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience.
Translated and adapted from Sohu (https://www.sohu.com/a/1073161195_115060).