In-depth interpretation of Tesla's business model: selling cars at a loss, making money by software?
As we all know, in the field of new energy vehicles, Tesla has always been in a first-class position. With the continuous development of Model 3, Tesla's global delivery volume has further climbed, but because the price of Model 3 is lower, in a short period of time due to the problem of localization, the cost of the car will rise in the short term, further weakening Tesla's profitability, so what does Tesla rely on to make money?
First of all, point 1, Tesla makes money by self-driving features. As we all know, Tesla's domestic Model 3 on the official website is priced at 328,000 yuan, which is described in the terms of traditional fuel vehicles, which belongs to a beggar version. The low-end version of the Model 3 has a cruising range of 460kw, and the level of intelligence is also the worst, and even there is no AutoPilot function at all.
According to Tesla officials, if you want to add this AutoPilot function, you need to add 27,800 yuan. It is understood that this function can only be this basic version of the AutoPilot function can only automatically assist in the driving lane to achieve steering, acceleration and braking, which can be understood as a simple ACC function. For higher-level AutoPilot, if you realize autonomous parking, automatic driving assist lane change, and automatic navigation assisted driving functions, you need to add 56,000 yuan.
This also leads to Tesla not relying on cars, only relying on selling system functions, which will also become a killer of extraordinarily large profits. What Tesla needs to do most is to increase its paid activation rate to attract consumers to pay with autopilot functions and safer driving.
In terms of second, Tesla makes money from entertainment services. In September last year, Tesla pushed the V10.0 system to Chinese car owners, and after upgrading it online through OTA, it provided video services to Chinese users.
In other words, Tesla provides streaming media and membership services, streaming services and membership services are a kind of Internet service, which can be re-extended in the automotive industry, with the characteristics of zero Internet cost, but there is a huge profit margin.
It should be noted here that in the future, the software services that Tesla needs to spend in a certain life cycle are likely to exceed the hardware cost of the car. More importantly, Tesla can create a new charging model in terms of mileage and charging services. Of course, for Tesla, the use of such a model requires a large user base, and when the number of users is large enough, any new feature may bring revenue and huge profits.