Summary
- Kia is offering $1,000 to $1,500 off their EV models exclusively to Tesla owners or leasees
- BMW and Lucid have also launched similar programs in the past to attract Tesla drivers
- Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, found Kia’s incentive program humorous as Tesla drivers do not need incentives to buy a Tesla
- Kia has sold significantly fewer EVs compared to Tesla, with 155,000 units in 2023 compared to Tesla’s 1.81 million
- Kia’s program is seen as a strategy to take Teslas off the road and promote their EVs, despite already offering government rebates and incentives for EV buyers.
Article
Kia has launched an incentive program offering Tesla owners and leasees $1,000 off an EV6 or $1,500 off an EV9 in an effort to lure them away from Tesla and towards their own EVs. This tactic is not new, as other car manufacturers like BMW have also tried similar programs to attract Tesla drivers. Lucid Motors has also been reportedly targeting Tesla owners at Supercharger sites in hopes of persuading them to switch to their brand.
While Kia’s move is seen as an interesting strategy, it is important to note that Tesla remains a more popular choice among EV buyers. In 2023, Kia sold around 155,000 EVs while Tesla sold 1.81 million units for the full year. Despite this, Kia’s EV models have received positive reviews from customers, indicating that they may have a chance to compete with Tesla in the EV market.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to Kia’s incentive program with humor, pointing out that Tesla does not need to offer incentives to attract customers, as their brand and products speak for themselves. Musk’s tweet highlighted the fact that Kia is trying to lure Tesla drivers while the reverse situation does not occur. This tweet reflects Musk’s confidence in Tesla’s position as a leader in the EV market.
Incentive programs like Kia’s are becoming more common as car manufacturers try to attract Tesla drivers and expand their own EV market share. While government rebates and incentives already exist for EV buyers, these additional incentives from manufacturers can sweeten the deal for potential customers. Kia’s program, in particular, targets Tesla owners and leasees in an attempt to persuade them to make the switch to a Kia EV model.
Overall, Kia’s incentive program is a bold move to capture Tesla drivers and increase their presence in the EV market. Despite Tesla’s dominance in the industry, Kia’s EV offerings are gaining traction with positive reviews from customers. As competition in the EV sector heats up, incentive programs like this will likely continue to emerge as manufacturers aim to attract customers away from Tesla and towards their own brands. It will be interesting to see how Tesla responds to these tactics and how the EV market evolves in the future.
Read the full article here
