In a troubling sign, Tesla Motors has effectively raised the price of its all-electric Roadster sports car by at least $6,700, Autopia reports, a move that the company says is necessary for survival.
The increased pricing affects not only new customers, but specifically the 400 who have already placed a deposit on 2008 Roadsters that haven’t been delivered. Those customers must now pay thousands extra for features they thought were included in the original deal, according to the report, even though some had already placed deposits of up to $50,000. The biggest change is that the “high-power connector,” which recharges the car’s lithium-ion battery in as little as three hours, is no longer included. Now Tesla wants an extra $3,000 for it. Without the high-power connector, it takes up to 37 hours to charge the car. Other options, such as Bluetooth, navigation, and metallic paint all have higher prices as well.
“That’s ill-advised,” said Eric Noble, president of the auto-industry consulting firm The Car Lab, in the article. “Your first buyers are your emissaries. Treat them wrong and all the advertising in the world won’t cure it. It’s just bad marketing.” Aaron Bragman, an IHS Global Insight analyst, said in the report that hitting customers up for more money after they’ve put down deposits is highly unusual. “They’re probably a lot closer to the edge than they want you to think.”
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