After the government increased the cap on the price of crossovers electric vehicles qualifying for tax credits, Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) increased the price of its finest vehicle, the Model Y, by $1,000 in the United States.
Current and prior pricing published on its website showed Tesla raised the prices of the Model Y Long Range to $54,990 and the Model Y Performance to about $57,990, an increase of around $1,000 each.
It marked the Model Y Long Range’s second cost rise in the last two weeks.
Before taking into consideration the $7,500 tax credit that customers are now eligible for receiving, the models are still 15% and 17% less affordable than they were until Tesla cut prices last month to boost demand.
The Treasury Department reversed course on Friday, saying crossover like the Model Y would be eligible for electrical vehicles tax credits as long as their sticker prices were less than $80,000. Cars, sedans, and waggons have a lower limit of $55,000.
With more of their portfolios becoming eligible for the incentive programme, automakers including Tesla, General Motors (GM.N) who are up-and-rising, Ford (F.N), and others pushed the Biden administration to relax the vehicle criteria.
Before the cost of the Model Y rose over the point at which the tax benefit would apply, a Tesla buyer would only add around $1,000 worth of extra options, including a tow hitch.
In January, Tesla reduced pricing across the board in response to indications of waning demand. On Friday, it reduced costs in South Korea for a second time.
Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, stated last month that following the initial wave of price reductions, vehicle orders were nearly double the company’s output in January.
He claimed that due to high demand, the Model Y had received the company’s first little price rise.
On the other hand, according to a Saturday article in the British newspaper The Telegraph, Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) & Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) are encircling the defunct UK minor airline Flybe in an effort to secure its take-off and arrival slots at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Air France-KLM and Lufthansa declined to comment.
The Telegraph said that the two airlines were all in talks with the administration of Flybe, which halted operations and entered insolvency for the second time in as many years last week, cancelling all flights and laying off 276 employees.
The Interpath Advisory administrators may only have a few days to approve a rescue plan to prevent the closure of the company, according to sources in London’s financial sector quoted in the newspaper.
According to the report, Flybe has seven pairings of take-off and arrival slots at Heathrow as well as five pairs at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam that Lufthansa & Air France-KLM are keen in.
It reported a source adding that in addition to the potentially valuable assets of the bankrupt airline, plaintiffs would also need to assume many of its liabilities.
The slots would probably be restored to a central pool managed by the airport operator if a buyer for Flybe could not be found, it said.
On a similar topic of production: Foxconn (2317.TW), the largest contract electronics manufacturer in the world and a key iPhone manufacturer for Apple Inc (AAPL.O), reported on Sunday that its revenue in January increased 48.2% year over year as a result of overcoming COVID difficulties in China.
With operations back to normal and shipping volumes rising at its Zhengzhou site in China, a centre for iPhone manufacture, revenue in January hit a new high of T$660.4 billion ($22 billion), according to a statement from the business.
