Tesla Pushes Leases & Buyouts As It Maximizes US Tax Credit? - CleanTechnica

The article discusses Tesla’s recent strategic push to promote leasing and lease buyouts amid changes in the US electric vehicle (EV) tax credit landscape. Although the federal EV tax credit effectively expired for Tesla vehicles after the third quarter, Tesla appears to be leveraging leasing options to maintain customer incentives and stimulate sales. Unlike other automakers that used dealer networks to capitalize on the tax credit loophole by selling cars to themselves before the deadline, Tesla’s direct sales model initially seemed to limit such opportunities. However, Tesla is now emphasizing leasing benefits, including the ability to use full vehicle features and the option to buy the car at lease-end, which it had not heavily promoted before. Tesla’s leasing prices are set to increase by up to $80 soon, possibly reflecting either rising costs or a dwindling supply of vehicles eligible for the tax credit. By encouraging lease buyouts, Tesla can potentially sell used vehicles at higher prices than before, since the absence of the $7,500 tax credit raises the residual value of