Tesla is shifting gears on its referral program, specifically for the Model 3 and Model Y buyers. Until recently, Tesla owners and buyers could earn 2,000 credits for a Model 3 or Model Y referral or purchase. The newly minted change will now allow owners to pocket 10,000 credits for referring someone to a Model 3/Y purchase.
In contrast, Model 3 and Y buyers will not accumulate credits; instead, they will get a $500 price cut and three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD) trial. The awards for Model S and X buyers remain the same at $1,000 off and a 3-month FSD trial.
Enhanced Autopilot and FSD Removed as Rewards
Unfortunately, there are also some drawbacks in these latest updates. Tesla has removed Enhanced Autopilot and FSD as referral rewards. This is a significant blow as these were some of the most attractive awards if you could accumulate enough credits. FSD previously required 120,000 credits.
However, the FSD trial promises an exciting opportunity for new owners to experience a key feature of Tesla's software ecosystem. It includes Navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Autopark, and Smart Summon. Unfortunately, owners who receive a vehicle with hardware 4.0 will not be able to activate FSD Beta in the U.S. and Canada yet until HW4 is supported.
Referral Program Limit
Along with these reward updates, Tesla has also imposed a strict limit on the number of referrals an owner can obtain.
According to Tesla's updated terms, owners are now limited to five referrals per calendar year. So while Tesla is increasing the rewards for Model 3 and Model Y referrals, owners will not be limited to the five referrals across all of their products, including solar. Tesla's referral program continues evolving, so this could also change at any time.
Although an owner is limited to five referrals per calendar year, a buyer may continue to use any referral code to be eligible for the discount and free FSD trial, even if the owner has already met the referral limit.
Tesla China Cash Rewards Program
Tesla also has plans to enhance its cash rewards program in China. The U.S.-based automaker's cash rewards in China operate similarly to its referral program in the United States. Existing Tesla owners who refer the company's cars to others could receive cash rewards if the recommendation concludes in a vehicle sale. The updated referral program will be applied to Model 3 and Model Y sales in China.
Implications for Tesla's Ecosystem
The changes to Tesla's referral program have significant implications for its broader ecosystem. Firstly, the revamped rewards incentivize owners to preach Tesla's products, increasing the brand's word-of-mouth publicity. It also adds value for the new owners, who now get a price reduction and the chance to experience the FSD trial.
Besides the referral limit, these changes do not appear to affect Tesla's Solar Roof and Solar Panel referral program. Similarly, the recently adjusted referral program for Model S/X, offering 20,000 referral credits, a cash discount, and a three-month trial of FSD, remains unaffected.
The revamp of the referral program showcases Tesla's strategy to enhance customer experience and increase the uptake of its vehicles. For referring owners and new buyers, it's clear that Tesla aims to deliver more value and improve the benefits of being part of the Tesla community.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
