For years, Tesla’s generous referral program has been a major perk for its most enthusiastic supporters and brand evangelists. But as the company’s sales continue skyrocketing, those coveted referral bonuses are getting a haircut.
Tesla has knocked down the referral credits existing owners earn from 10,000 to 7,500 when someone uses their code to buy a new vehicle.
But the bigger sting? New Tesla buyers using a referral link will no longer get a free year of Premium Connectivity thrown in. They’ll still score 3 months of the FSD.
It’s a sensible business move for Tesla as it looks to rein in customer acquisition costs amid surging mainstream demand. The referral program was an incredible hook when Tesla was a niche upstart. But as Elon Musk’s EV empire grows, those generous freebies were likely getting unsustainably expensive.
The reduced UK referral reduced to 2,500 points for the referrer and 3 months EAP for the buyer (that remains the same) suggest a similar global scaling back is underway.
Still, any kind of referral kickback is a hot commodity most automakers can’t match. Tesla’s hardcore fans may grumble, but they’ll surely keep spreading the Gospel of Elon for those hard-to-beat bonus offers.