Tesla has raised the price for two models in Canada and upped them for others elsewhere in the world.
The U.S. electric-vehicle maker increased the prices of the Model 3 and Model Y Performance trims by $300, to $73,290 and $76,290, respectively. Tesla charges $1,990 in delivery and fees in Canada.
Because Tesla only increased the price of the Model 3 Performance trim, the base model, priced at $54,990, before shipping, still qualifies for a $5,000 federal electric-vehicle rebate. The Performance trim never did because it is priced too high.
Meanwhile, Reuters previously reported that Tesla is preparing a rear-wheel Model Y priced at $59,990, before delivery, that will also qualify for the federal rebate.
Meanwhile, the automaker tweaked its U.S. pricing, too, raising it by US $250 on some models. According to Tesla's U.S. website, the base Model 3 with rear-wheel drive now starts at US $41,880 with shipping. The base Model Y, which comes standard with all-wheel drive, starts at US $48,880 with shipping.
PRICE HIKES ELSEWHERE
In Japan, prices for the entry-level Model 3 rose 37,000 yen (US $269). In China, Tesla raised the price for variants by 2,000 yuan (US $289), the website showed.
The price hikes come after having slashed prices on some of its top-selling vehicles since the start of the year.
Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would prioritize sales growth ahead of margins and look to profit later on its rollout of self-driving software for a larger fleet of vehicles.
Since January, Tesla has shifted to a real-time pricing model that is closer to airlines or ride-sharing than the fixed prices of the traditional auto industry model.
Musk has said the company is willing to sacrifice margin for sales volume but is also looking to move prices back higher, where it can, to match deliveries with output.
It was the first time since January that Tesla has increased the price of its cheapest car, the Model 3, in the United States.
The entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Model 3 is still about 14 per cent cheaper in the United States than at the start of the year. The long-range version of the Model Y remains about 24 per cent cheaper in Tesla's largest market.
Tesla touched off a price war in China, the world's largest market, when it began price cuts last year. Tesla and other established automakers face growing competition from a range of domestic electric car brands led by BYD.
Reuters, Automotive News and Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada contributed to this report.
