For those waiting for a Tesla Model 3, a new leasing option may be the answer to hold some people over.
During a conference call last weekend, Elon Musk announced a new leasing plan for the Model S and Model X.
Starting at $593 a month, this new two-year lease option makes having a Tesla a slightly cheaper affair. Unfortunately, this deal will only extend until September 12, meaning buyers on the fence should make a decision quickly.
It seems that this two-year lease option was made to coincide with the launch of the Model 3. For those waiting, leasing a Model S or Model X can get many in the electric space much earlier. It also helps Tesla’s numbers knowing that more machines are out being driven. And it wouldn’t be too surprising if Musk is hoping some people turn this lease option to a buy.
According to Musk, the two-year lease option was a hotly requested feature. What probably wasn’t so hotly requested was the $6,000 deposit and 10,000 mile-per-year limit. That’s quite a jump from the $2,500 deposit required when Tesla first introduced leasing two years ago. The monthly payments, however, are down from $777 and the term is a year shorter.
After doing the math, grabbing the new two-year lease will run consumers $20,232 for the deposit and payments over two years. That’s just a $200 savings with the older lease if calculated for two years at $20,648. Also, the older three-year lease plan allows for much more mileage.
For those really unwilling to wait for the Model 3, then yes, the new two-year lease option should be OK. But if someone is willing to wait that extra year, then the older three-year lease option will definitely be the way to go.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.