The Tesla Model 3 is expected to be a popular vehicle for businesses and leasing companies due to potential gas and maintenance savings, but with what is expected to be a competitive reservation process, some companies are using ingenious methods to try to get ahead of the pack with early reservations.
Netherlands-based electric car leasing company MisterGreen, in partnership with energy firm NLE, organized a system to enlist customers to reserve 1,000 Tesla Model 3’s.
MisterGreen already offers leases for the Model S, and soon Model X, in the Netherlands and Belgium, but this new scheme is a little more peculiar and we are not sure how it will fair with Tesla’s Model 3 reservation agreement.
The company hopes that securing the reservations will make Tesla prioritize the Netherlands over other European countries during the Model 3 rollout. From the company’s website:
“The purchasing consortium consists of several financially strong companies, including Mister Green and NLE. Through a partnership both have committed to buying at risk 1,000 Tesla Model 3’s. By reserving the cars at an early stage, we could capture a large batch of cars and it is more likely that the Model 3 will be coming to the Netherlands sooner in comparison with other countries.”
Customers will have to pay the €1,000 deposit and MisterGreen and its partners will buy the cars and lease them back at an estimated price of €685 per month.
NLE CEO and founder Harald Swinkels on the announcement:
“We believe that the Model 3 is a game changer. The Model 3 makes electric drive within reach of an insanely large group of people”
With over 200 miles of range and a starting price of $35,000, the Model 3 should indeed increase the market for electric vehicles. There are already around 5,000 Tesla Model S owners in the Netherlands and Swinkels hopes the Model 3 will significantly increase Tesla’s and overall electric vehicle presence in the country.
MisterGreen doesn’t expect to take delivery of the vehicles until 2018.
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I actually hope this fails. As a dutch private buyer, I’d like to see real owners get their hands on a model 3 instead of some wealthy lease company which is mainly interested in making money!
Look at it this way: most businessmen can’t afford to buy a model 3. The ones who can, should definitely buy. Buy versus lease is a choice. For the people who can’t afford to buy one, it is a big step forward to be able to lease an electric car. In the end, leasing will speed up the transition to full electric cars. I don’t see how that has anything to do with corporate greed.
$740./mo seems like a high lease rate on a $35k car. At 5% APR you could BUY the car in 4.5 years at that rate. Maybe Dutch taxes or something.