Image source: The Motley Fool.
Going into 2017, electric-car maker Tesla Motors (TSLA -3.55%) is pulling a couple of levers to help boost demand for its vehicles. On Jan. 1, the company said in a tweet it is extending its deadline for buying a Tesla vehicle with free lifetime Supercharging from Jan. 1 to Jan. 15.
If you couldn't finalize your purchase by 12/31, you can still order a Model S or X until 1/15 to receive unlimited Supercharging.
— Tesla (@TeslaMotors) January 1, 2017
Tesla said in November it would end a current benefit for Tesla buyers of getting lifetime, unlimited access to its Supercharger network for long-distance travel. Teslas ordered after Jan. 1, the company had said, would only include 400 kilowatt-hours of free Supercharging (roughly 1,000 miles) and would have to pay a small fee to Supercharge beyond this limit.
The economics of charging a small fee for Supercharging beyond approximately 1,000 miles a year would enable Tesla to "reinvest in the network, accelerate its growth and bring all owners, current and future, the best Supercharging experience," the company said in a blog post.
But by extending the offer by two weeks, Tesla apparently wants to give customers a bit more time to take advantage of it.
Tesla also said this weekend that it is delaying an imminent 5% price increase for U.K. customers, citing "exceptionally high demand," according to a statement Tesla provided to Bloomberg.
Does it matter?
A two-week extension of these offers for Tesla buyers won't likely make a meaningful difference in Tesla's first-quarter deliveries, but the moves do suggest the two catalysts are serving the company well in the near term. Overall, however, investors should refrain from reading too much into news like this.
