Strong demand to lease Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
AN Exeter car leasing company has taken delivery of 100 of Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles – and seen more than 60 leased to businesses in just a week.
Carparison, based at Hill Barton Business Park, has been delighted by the appetite for the vehicles, which can drive for up to 360 miles in a single charge.
The company said the exceptional range and charging times – just 15 minutes to give 172 miles of driving – plus the “badge pull” of the Tesla name mean companies have been keen to get their hands on one of the cars.
Carparison, which was incorporated in 2018, leases a range of vehicles, electric and for personal and businesses uses with brands such as Seat, Ford and Citroen among its top offers.
Vehicle leasing, also known as contract hire, is a financing option which is a bit like renting because customers have use of a vehicle for an agreed time before returning it.
Carparison received 100 Tesla Model 3 cars in early April and within 10 days had fewer than 40 left in stock. “The majority of leasers have come through business deals,” said Carparison’s Ryan Darby. “We have some businesses in the South West who have taken them out.
“They have been going particularly well, but then they are the cream of the crop for electric vehicles.”
Tesla is one of the companies cofounded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, and in 2017 began delivering its Model 3 Tesla, a mass-market electric vehicle, which comes in three makes: Long Range, Standard Plus and Performance. When they were launched prices started at £26,650 to buy, but Carparison is offering the Standard and Long Range models for £432 and £459pcm respectively.