heyimjason t1_iyd00fl wrote on November 30, 2022 at 2:18 PM

Reply to comment by alc4pwned in Competitors chip away at Tesla's US electric vehicle share by Sorin61

>it's Tesla and Ford

I'm not aware of Ford selling direct to consumer in any state. Where do you see that happening? And I didn't dispute that Tesla does it - I clearly stated that they have issues with it and can't sell direct in all 50 states - and they have to employ a lot of loopholes that will likely soon be closed in order to sell in some of those states.

>Tesla has a markup built in whereas others don't and instead get a markup added at the dealer

Tesla's prices are just needlessly high. When and if the dealership lobby gets put in its place and manufacturers can start selling DTC, do you really think they're going to jack up their prices so they stay the same as at dealerships? Hell no - that would just be sending customers to the competition in droves. Ford's CEO has even mentioned how consumers would be able to save thousands by buying direct. Most manufacturers would likely sell DTC at or near the prices the dealerships are paying.

>This is a discussion about EVs

Fair point, but a $20k hybrid is crazy. A $20k truck is super crazy. A $20k hybrid truck is just not something I'd have expected to see before 2030. And their fully gas models of the Maverick are actually considerably more expensive. This makes me wonder if when they do put out a fully electric Maverick that it might not be even cheaper. But the point is that Ford could have easily set the base at $25k, or $30k, and still gotten plenty of orders.

Yeah, the manufacturers are in it for money. That's how business works. But they're not trying to completely screw the consumers like the dealerships do.

alc4pwned t1_iyd22r4 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 2:33 PM

> I'm not aware of Ford selling direct to consumer in any state. Where do you see that happening?

I already said they're not yet but that they intend to. Again - the point there was really that they have marked up the F150 Lightning significantly themselves.

> And I didn't dispute that Tesla does it

Yet you responded to me with "Where in the US do you think manufacturers are selling directly to consumers, exactly?"

> Tesla's prices are just needlessly high.

Except, they're not. The current MSRP of the Model 3 compares pretty favorably with the MSRP + dealer markup you pay for similar EVs.

> When and if the dealership lobby gets put in its place and manufacturers can start selling DTC, do you really think they're going to jack up their prices so they stay the same as at dealerships?

In normal times? No. When there are extreme shortages? Yes. Tesla and Ford have significantly increased the prices of their EVs in response to shortages.

>But the point is that Ford could have easily set the base at $25k, or $30k, and still gotten plenty of orders.

I mean, I'd imagine that most Maverick orders are spec'ed to $30k+. I think on some level, the positive press generated by the $20k starting price is selling more expensive versions of the maverick.

Worth noting that the $20k Maverick is pretty stripped down inside and isn't AWD.

> Yeah, the manufacturers are in it for money. That's how business works. But they're not trying to completely screw the consumers like the dealerships do.

Agreed. But clearly they're not above jacking up prices when there are extreme shortages.