Following its recently completed 2013 fourth quarter in which a record-breaking 6,892 Model S cars were sold, Tesla (TSLA 1.22%) announced today it will begin offering business customers a new, traditional leasing option for its Model S vehicle.
One of Tesla's current financing alternatives is the Resale Value Guarantee. The Resale Value Guarantee provides customers with a financing contract with payment terms similar to those of a lease. However, Tesla drivers retain ownership of their vehicles, with an option to return them in three years at a pre-determined value, making them eligible to receive federal tax credits of at least $7,500. An additional tax credit may be available to electric car owners depending on a driver's state of residence.
The lease program announced today, according to Tesla, is designed for customers who own "small and medium sized businesses" and prefer to deduct the monthly lease payment for a Model S directly, rather than receive the one-time federal electric vehicle tax credit.
The introduction of its new financing alternative coincides with what is expected to be a record 2014 as Tesla expands its global reach. Sales of the Model S in China and Europe should, according to Tesla, bump sales as high as 35,000 units in 2014, compared to an estimated 22,450 last year.