You might have a better chance winning the lottery.
Tesla announced that the first person who refers 10 customers in each of its sales regions — North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific — for a total of 30 referrals of people who eventually buy a Tesla will get a free Model X.
Good luck with that!
But here’s something more likely — any current Tesla owner is eligible for a $1,000 incentive if they refer someone who buys a Model S before Oct. 31, the company said Wednesday.
The $1,000 referral discount applies to the future purchases of cars, service and accessories. (The company sells apparel and golf bags on its web site, and diecast models of its cars.)
Super-prolific referral customers will get something else extra. Those who wrack up five referrals score an invite to the grand opening party for the Tesla Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada next year.
Also, anyone who accumulates five referrals can buy a “fully loaded” Founder Series Model X, which is not yet available to the public, for the “base-level” price. The company said that’s a $25,000 savings, but it didn’t say how much the car would cost. The Model X rolls out in early 2016.
The price of a Model S is $70,000 for a basic rear-wheel drive model; an all-wheel drive version costs $105,000.
The unusual deal highlights that fact that Tesla sells its cars through company-owned stores, rather than independently owned dealerships.
Tesla has imposed a use-it-or-lose-it discount deadline of Dec. 31, 2016, and said it will be on the lookout for “bad faith” attempts to misuse the referral program.
“We cannot cover every nefarious scenario, nor will we attempt to, but we do promise to be fair and reasonable,” said Tesla.
