why this new free color should not be free in Europe

Tesla is changing its catalog and changing the standard color of its Model 3 and Model Y in the United States. From now on, the sedan and the SUV are dressed in dark gray, while all the other colors are paid. Enough to drastically reduce the number of white and black Teslas on the roads.

When choosing an electric car, we often look at its price, but also its autonomy, two points that remain very important in the eyes of customers. But as with the purchase of any vehicle, the style and especially the color are also very important.

A new base color

In most cases, manufacturers offer a standard tint, which costs nothing more than the base price of the vehicle. In general, it is sober colors like white or gray, although some brands have decided to go against this trend, like Peugeot. The e-208, for example, is delivered as standard in yellow, while you have to pay to have the right to a more sober dress. Smart!

At Tesla, we want to be a little more classic. Indeed, at its launch, the Model 3 was sold with a black body, so the other colors required adding several thousand euros to the final check. From 2019, black was replaced by white, which therefore became free. But the manufacturer has once again decided to review its strategy and its color catalog, as reported by the American site Electrek.

The latter went to the configurator of the sedan, which should soon offer a small restyling with a larger battery. And journalists have noticed that the standard color is no longer the same. Indeed, it is now the Midnight Silver which is included in the basic endowment. Then you have to pay at least $1,000 to choose another shade.

Note that the same strategy was applied for the Tesla Model Y, which once again remains the best-selling car on the European market in May. On the other hand, the Model S and Model X, which had suffered a small price drop earlier in the year, still remain in white in their basic version. The range of colors is intended to be quite limited, whatever the model.

Simplified production

But what is the point of this strategy, when some manufacturers offer many colors? Well, quite simply to facilitate production. Less choice indeed means more fluid industrialization, which also makes it possible to reduce delivery times. However, we know to what extent these have already greatly increased due to the shortage of semiconductors.

The manufacturer is keen to optimize its production, while it plans to review its factories in order to further improve its manufacturing process. A strategy which also seems to have inspired Toyota, and which should enable the two brands to reduce the prices of their cars in the future. However, this method which consists in carrying out several steps in parallel is not devoid of defects.

Le Model Y Propulsion est désormais disponible en Quicksilver et Midnight Cherry Red 🩶🍒https://t.co/MmmDTfjVaR

Réservées aux Model Y Grande Autonomie et Performance jusqu’ici. pic.twitter.com/AyZE5IZFUj

— Clément Brest (@ClemBrst) July 4, 2023

For the moment, this change of color of series only concerns the American market. But what about France? Well for now, the standard color remains white, on the Model 3 as on the Model Y. Note that black is also free. But could that change? For the moment, nothing has yet been specified but this is unlikely.

A little earlier in the year, the manufacturer announced the arrival of its Quicksilver gray in the range of its Model Y, but only on the Long Range and Performance versions produced in Berlin. The latter replaces Night Gray Metallic and is now available on Propulsion trim, at a salty price displayed at 3,000 euros. Same thing for the very beautiful Midnight Cherry red, reserved for the SUV. It’s hard to imagine Tesla offering such an expensive color, which requires more paint work than other colors.

100% European production

Note that all copies of the Model Y dressed in red or gray are now assembled within the Berlin Gigafactory, the Shanghai factory not being able to produce these colors. This means that the German site could still ramp up, after breaking the record of 5,000 units assembled in one week. The Propulsion version in the other colors has also recently been produced by us. But if you order a Tesla Model Y Propulsion, it could either come from China or Germany, depending on inventory.

Eventually, all units of the electric SUV ordered in Europe should come out of this production line, which would allow it to still be eligible for the ecological bonus if the allocation conditions were to be tightened. The government wants to reserve this aid only for cars produced on the Old Continent.