Tesla's Genius Move Or Price Cut In Disguise? Analysts Dissect EV Giant's 0.99% Model Y Financing Scheme

Tesla, Inc. TSLA has begun offering a heavily discounted 0.99% financing option for the purchase of its Model Y electric vehicles in North America, and venture capitalist and Deepwater Management Partner Gene Munster offered his take on the development in a post on Monday.

Material Development: Tesla is the “master” at tweaking prices to optimize demand,” said Munster. The fund manager noted that demand has been soft over the past five months. He noted that Tesla buyers can save $8,000 over an average six-year loan with a 1% interest rate relative to a 7% rate.

While noting that a majority of cars are now purchased with some sort of financing, Munster said, “This is material and gives me confidence that June quarter deliveries will improve from March.”

The tech analyst said he expects a 1%-4% year-over-year decline in June quarter deliveries versus the 1% drop forecast by Street and the 9% drop seen in the March quarter.

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Not all share the same enthusiasm. Prominent short seller Jim Chanos sees this move as a camouflaged price cut. Replying to a Tesla fan’s comments that the reduced financing offer is an “absolute game changer,” the short seller said, “Who wants to tell him this is just another price cut…?”

Tesla went all out with the strategy of under-cutting competition to preserve its market share but it backfired as rivals followed suit. The price cuts have steeply eroded margins and profitability.

The Elon Musk-led company has opted to go with the “razor-razorblade” strategy, by sacrificing the margins of the auto business to make up for the shortfall with a high-margin, recurring revenue stream by selling its full self-driving software.

In premarket trading, Tesla shares rose 0.29% to $172.38, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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