[pexabit]

Maybe I am wrong about this, but the price you pay at a dealership is the spot price for a car now and here. The price you pay on the Tesla website is for a car some time in the future, some times an indefinitely far off time in the future. I suspect the spot price for a Tesla now and here is also fluctuating, opaque, and subject to negotiation.

Am I wrong?

[Sohcahtoa82]

> The price you pay on the Tesla website is for a car some time in the future, some times an indefinitely far off time in the future.

FWIW, the delivery estimates displayed on the Tesla web site for cars currently in production are pretty accurate. Also, if you order a Performance/Plaid model, you get to the front of the queue. ;-)

> I suspect the spot price for a Tesla now and here is also fluctuating, opaque, and subject to negotiation.

In that case, you're buying a used one from a dealer, so that would be true.

The annoying thing with dealers though is that when it comes to Tesla, they often have no clue what they're actually selling, or they're trying to rip off naive customers. I've seen them try to sell base Model 3's for $55K. For just a couple thousand more, you could get a brand new Model 3 Performance delivered in 2-4 weeks.

[plasticchris]

Sort of, at least last summer if you wanted a car here and now there was a premium attached but you could order one for msrp and indefinitely far in the future is pretty accurate as to when it would arrive.

[KptMarchewa]

In times of smaller demand, Tesla also had inventory on hand that they sold right now.

On the other hand, dealerships also sold future cars - and sometimes still do - when you want to have something customized.

So, there's no difference besides difference in demand.