Tesla is once again charging buyers extra for all but one of the paint options for the Model S and Model X. With the change, customer must now pick between one standard colour included in the base price, or pay up to C$3,300/US$2,500 for a different colour.
Tesla is seemingly always tinkering with their pricing structure, either increasing or decreasing the prices of the vehicles themselves, or adjusting how much customers pay for options like the paint, wheels, or adding a third row of seating. Back in September last year Tesla updated their Design Studio to remove the charges for all Model S and Model X paint colours, making them all part of the base price of their two flagship vehicles.
Four months later and they have reappeared. According to an update to the online configurator on Tuesday night, Model S/X buyers must once again pay extra for Pearl While Multi-Coat, Deep Blue Metallic, Solid Black, and Ultra Red.
Stealth Grey remains as the only paint colour included in the price of the vehicle.
Here is a breakdown of the prices for each paint option in Canada and the US. These are the same prices as when Tesla removed them last year.
| Colour | Canada | US |
| Stealth Grey | Included | Included |
| Pearl White Multi-Coat | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Deep Blue | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Solid Black | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Ultra Red | $3,300 | $2,500 |
The price changes have implications for customers in the US beyond just increasing your final bill, specifically related to the $7,500 federal tax credit. After Tuesday night’s update only the Model X finished in Stealth Grey is eligible to receive the credit. This is because the base price of the Model X is US$79,990, and adding any of the other paint options pushes the electric SUV above the US$80,000 price cap for the incentive.
There is no similar implication for Canadian buyers as the Model X, with a base price of $109,990, is already well above the iZEV threshold of $70,000 for SUVs.
