Tesla Model 3, Model Y lease buyout option may be possible, email says
It's not totally clear if this is general language or if those who lease one of the more affordable Teslas will finally have such an option.
If you go ahead and pull the trigger on a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y lease, you likely know that, right now, the automaker does not give lessees the option of buying out the lease. It's an uncommon practice, but for years, Tesla has said it plans to use the returned cars in a self-driving, ride-hailing fleet. But a new document may foreshadow a switch in policy.
According to an emailed document Electrek reported on Thursday, it sounds like the Model 3 and Model Y lessees will actually have the option of purchasing their leased EV after all. The email, which the site says was sent to all Tesla lessess, details a bundle of new changes coming to a revamped Tesla "lease experience," and mentions new online management options that include the ability to buy the leased vehicle.
Electrek points to a new Tesla support page detailing upcoming changes to the company's lease management system, but it doesn't mention purchasing options.
What's unclear is if this language applies to all four Tesla vehicles currently on sale. The blog reported Model S , Model X , Model 3 and Model Y lessees all received identical emails. Model S and Model X owners have always had the option of buying out their lease, unlike the other two EVs. Tesla does not operate a public relations department to field requests for comment, so we'll need to hold tight on a final answer.
We'll likely get that answer in the next couple months as Tesla plans to roll out its new leasing experience. According to the support page, all the changes will begin in early 2021. If Model 3 and Model Y owners do get the option to buy their leased car, it opens up new questions about CEO Elon Musk's promise of a robotaxi fleet in the future. Musk said the fleet would be "functionally ready" in 2020. While that phrase is certainly open for interpretation, we're nowhere near a fleet of self-driving Teslas ready to pick up passengers, though the company's Full Self-Driving beta launched on a limited scale.
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