A fleet manager for SAP, a large software company, has voiced its decision to drop Tesla vehicles from its fleet due to the fluctuating prices.
Over the last two years, Tesla has consistently reduced its prices, making electric vehicles more accessible to new buyers. However, this has had negative implications for current owners, particularly in terms of resale value. Fleet owners, such as Autonomy and Hertz, who previously maintained large Tesla fleets, have experienced significant drops in the value of their vehicles. As a result, Hertz has decided to divest.
Now, SAP, which previously favored Tesla vehicles for its fleet electrification, has confirmed that it will be removing Tesla from its list of company car suppliers. Steffen Krautwasser, fleet manager at SAP, attributed the decision to Tesla’s fluctuating prices, which pose a higher risk due to difficulties in planning.
“The list prices fluctuate more at Tesla than at other manufacturers, which makes planning more difficult and poses a higher risk for us.”
“From Tesla’s perspective, this is understandable, but it causes problems for us.”
Additionally, early deliveries from Tesla have resulted in storage and logistical issues for SAP. Despite the boost in demand from fleet purchases over the last two years, the timing has not been ideal for fleet managers. While Tesla’s price drops have slowed down in the US, they continue to occur in Europe and Canada.
It remains to be seen whether Tesla’s increased advertising spend, instead of price cuts, will improve the predictability of resale value and make the vehicles more appealing to fleet managers.
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