Hyperdrive
`Tesla Stretch' Pushes Customers to Open Wallets for Model 3s
- Trade-ins coming from owners of mainstream cars such as Prius
- Some buyers resort to renting out their car to help payments
A Tesla Motor Inc. Model 3.
Photographer: Troy Harvey/Troy HarveyThis article is for subscribers only.
For Earl Banning, getting behind the wheel of a Tesla meant spending more than he ever had on a car.
The 43-year-old Air Force neuropsychologist from Dayton, Ohio, ponied up $54,000 for a Model 3, figuring he would save on gas and keep the car for a long time. It was almost double what he had previously paid for a fully loaded Honda Accord.