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Tesla finally offers lease-to-buy options for Model 3 and Y, but it’s not available everywhere
Tesla is starting to offer the option to purchase its all-electric Model 3 and Model Y vehicles at the conclusion of a leasing period in some markets in Europe and Asia.
For some time, Tesla has not allowed owners to purchase their cars at the end of a leasing period. The car is to be returned to the automaker with no chance of a leaseholder buying out the car at the conclusion of the period. The car would be added to the company’s used inventory, to third-party resalers, or reserved for the future use of the Robotaxi fleet.
Tesla’s Leasing Program
Tesla’s leasing policy is one of the few automotive programs that is subjected to a required return policy at the conclusion of a leasing period. In its 2020 10-K filing with the SEC, Tesla details its process for receiving leased vehicles when the period is terminated.
The company states:
“Our used vehicle business supports new vehicle sales by integrating the trade-in of a customer’s existing Tesla or non-Tesla vehicle with the sale of a new or used Tesla vehicle. The Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles we acquire as trade-ins are subsequently remarketed, either directly by us or through third parties. We also remarket used Tesla vehicles acquired from other sources including lease returns.”
In some markets in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Tesla did allow Model S and Model X leaseholders with the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease period.
Tesla says:
“At the end of the lease term, customers are required to return the vehicles to us or for Model S and Model X leases in certain regions, may opt to purchase the vehicles for a pre-determined residual value.”
This program did not apply to the Model 3 or Model Y, as anyone who leased either of these cars would be required to relinquish possession of the vehicle with no chance of purchasing it at the end of the lease. However, Tesla added a new section to the 10-K in 2020, detailing the possibility of a lease-to-buy option in some markets in Europe and Asia, and it applies to the Model 3 and Model Y. The company writes, “This is not available with the Model 3 and Model Y,” on its website.
Lease-to-Buy Option for Model 3 and Model Y in Europe and Asia
Tesla added new language to the 2020 10-K filing that details its decision to allow lease-to-buy options on its vehicles in Europe and Asia.
The company wrote:
“We have outstanding direct leases and vehicles financed by us under loan arrangements accounted for as sales-type leases under ASC 842 in certain countries in Asia and Europe, which we introduced in volume during the third quarter of 2020. Depending on the specific program, customers may or may not have a right to return the vehicle to us during or at the end of the lease term. If the customer does not have a right to return, the customer will take title to the vehicle at the end of the lease term after making all contractual payments. Under the programs for which there is a right to return, the purchase option is reasonably certain to be exercised by the lessee and we therefore expect the customer to take title to the vehicle at the end of the lease term after making all contractual payments.”
In summation, Tesla is offering the option to buy a vehicle at the end of a lease in some markets. The customer has the option to return the vehicle as well in some cases, and Tesla is “reasonably certain” that the leaseholder will take possession of the vehicle title when the lease ends.
Teslarati obtained a list of the countries where this lease-to-buy option is available, according to the Online Design Studio. Some countries have explicit language that states the vehicle leaseholder must return the vehicle, while others indicate there is an option to purchase the car at the end of a lease. Some do not have any language that indicates what the leaseholder must do, which could indicate that the option to purchase the vehicle is available at the conclusion of the leasing period.
The countries where a lease-to-buy option is available are:
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Denmark
- France
- Italy
- the Netherlands
- Poland
- Taiwan
A few examples show that there is explicit language that indicates a lease can be purchased outright at the end of the period.
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- France’s Design Studio contains language that indicates the vehicle can be purchased outright at the conclusion of a leasing period.
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- Taiwan’s Design Studio explicitly states the vehicle can be bought outright at the end of a lease period.
Other Design Studio examples show that the vehicle must be returned to Tesla at the end of the leasing period.
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- Tesla does not give the option to buy the vehicle outright at the end of the lease in Germany.
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- Tesla explicitly tells U.S. leaseholders that they “forgo the option to buy your car at the end of the lease and must return it to Tesla after the lease term.”
Lastly, other Design Studios show no language either way, which seems to indicate the option to buy the car is available as the lease term expires.
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- Tesla Poland has no explicit language stating that the car must be returned to Tesla.
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- Tesla Italy also does not indicate specifically if the car should be returned to Tesla at the end of a lease.
Poland is one country where Tesla does not indicate whether the car is required to be returned at the end of a lease period. However, the option to buy the car at the end of the lease is available, according to one Polish Model 3 leaseholder who spoke to Teslarati. Model 3 leaseholder Szymon Janus said that Tesla does allow lease-to-buy options in his country of Poland, and at the end of the lease, can be purchased for “around 60% of the new car’s value,” he said. However, Tesla isn’t offering the lease-purchase option directly, it is operated through a bank, he says. This could be why Tesla has no explicit language depicting the required return of the vehicle at the lease’s end date.
Tesla has not revealed any further details within its 10-K filing that indicate whether the company will allow leased vehicles to be purchased at the end of a leasing period. However, it did detail some specific financial figures.
Tesla said:
“For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recognized $120 million of sales-type leasing revenue and $87 million of sales-type leasing cost of revenue.”
What do you think? Be sure to leave a comment below, or you can contact me directly at joey@teslarati.com or @KlenderJoey on Twitter.
Tesla has officially put the Cybercab up for sale, revealing a bargain price and a $299 per month “Autonomy Subscription” that could hit customer hands as soon as December.
The offer requires a $299 monthly Autonomy Subscription, with the first month included in the purchase price, along with a $1,000 non-refundable order deposit. Tesla’s ordering interface shows deliveries targeted for Austin, Texas.
Tesla says that the Cybercab is making transportation more efficient, affordable and accessible than ever before, and that buyers can order their own Cybercab for personal use.
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Tesla Cybercab is officially on sale for $29,990 with a $299/mo “Autonomy Subscription”
Delivery slotted for December! HUGE!
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The Cybercab is Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi, a gold-finished, two-passenger vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, designed from the outset for unsupervised autonomous operation. It has been in limited Robotaxi service in Austin since September 2026, operating alongside Tesla’s larger fleet of Model Y vehicles.
Production takes place at Gigafactory Texas, which launched earlier this year. Tesla has stated for some time that it planned to put Cybercabs on sale by the end of the year, and it looks like they will come through on that promise if everything goes according to plan.
The Autonomy Subscription is mandatory for the vehicle to operate because it is void of a steering wheel and pedals. Tesla notes that the subscription and regular vehicle maintenance are required, indicating that personal owners will depend on the company’s software and service infrastructure rather than traditional ownership models.
One month of the subscription is included with purchase and subsequent months are billed separately until canceled.
This limited personal-sales opening marks a shift from Tesla’s earlier emphasis on fleet and transport-as-a-service operations. During the Q3 2026 Earnings Call, executives indicated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned and used for rideshare service, while still aiming to place some vehicles with customers by year-end.
Elon Musk has previously targeted a price below $30,000, which was a huge point of emphasis for the Cybercab being the central point of Tesla’s “transportation-as-a-service” model.
Availability remains restricted to invited customers rather than a public order page, and the initial deliveries are expected only in the Austin area where unsupervised Robotaxi operations are already active. Buyers will need to accept the geographic and operational constraints of current autonomous deployment, as the vehicle cannot be driven manually outside supported zones.
The move gives a small number of early buyers the chance to own Tesla’s dedicated autonomous vehicle at the long-discussed sub-$30,000 price point, while the bulk of production continues to support the company’s expanding Robotaxi network.
UPDATE: The FAA has granted the license for Starship Flight 15.
Starship Flight 15 License has been granted by the FAA!
Let’s go! https://t.co/DugsgjvYAe
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
SpaceX is set to attempt its 15th test flight of Starship this evening from Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 for a launch as soon as today, Friday, November 13, pending an FAA Flight License, during a 75-minute window that opens at 4:45 p.m. CT (5:45 p.m. ET) from Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The flight remains pending final regulatory approval.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The mission, using Booster 22 and Ship 42, aims to achieve the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. Primary objectives include a tower catch of the Super Heavy booster roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff and the first-ever tower catch of a Starship upper stage after more than 22 hours in space.
SpaceX will perform Starship double catch attempt with Flight 15
Between those catches, Ship 42 is planned to enter a low Earth orbit of about 275 km, complete roughly 14 orbits, and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites (Starlink Group 31-2). Three of those satellites carry cameras to inspect the ship’s heat shield in orbit and help controllers decide whether the vehicle is healthy enough for a return to the tower.
Contingency ocean splashdown options exist if either stage is not cleared for catch.
To watch the attempt, check the link to the broadcast in both X posts in this article. The live webcast is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and is planned to continue through the ship catch the next day, with the possibility of extended onboard views during the orbital coast via Starlink.
Because the schedule is dynamic, check back here or on our social media channels for the latest updates on window timing and regulatory status. A successful dual catch would mark a major milestone toward making Starship a rapidly reusable rocket capable of frequent flights.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
Tesla has trimmed its Model Y offerings as its Standard All-Wheel-Drive configuration has been removed from the online configurator after roughly nine months on sale. The move follows the removal of the Cybertruck, as its trims have also been minimized as that vehicle heads for total discontinuation at the end of Summer 2027.
Launched in February 2026 as a mid-tier dual-motor option between the Rear-Wheel-Drive model and the Premium trims, the Standard All-Wheel-Drive Model Y offered 294 miles of range and a 4.6-second 0-60 mph time in a stripped-down package.
🚨 Tesla has pulled the $41,990 Model Y AWD from its U.S. configurator after nine months on sale.
The cheapest AWD Model Y you can order is now the $49,990 Premium AWD, with Premium deliveries quoted for Jan–Mar 2027.
The $39,990 RWD stays, and AWD units remain in inventory. https://t.co/uROJp2lVpx
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
With it gone, the cheapest new AWD Model Y buyers can configure is now the Premium AWD at $49,990, with estimated deliveries pushed into January–March 2027. The $39,990 rear-wheel-drive Model Y remains available for custom orders, and some AWD units are still listed in inventory.
The move arrives days after Tesla sharply narrowed its Cybertruck lineup. New orders for the Dual Motor AWD and Premium AWD versions have been disabled, leaving only the high-performance Cyberbeast—priced around $109,990 before fees—as the sole configurable option.
Elon Musk has stated that Cybertruck production at Gigafactory Texas will wind down around the middle to late summer of 2027 to free manufacturing space for greater Cybercab output. Tesla has raised prices on remaining trims and is prioritizing higher-margin builds while working through an existing order backlog that exceeds what the line can complete before conversion.
These parallel decisions reflect a broader effort to simplify Tesla’s retail customer lineup. Lower-volume or lower-margin variants are being phased out or deprioritized in favor of core, higher-spec models that generate stronger profitability and clearer production planning.
For the Model Y, this concentrates volume on the remaining RWD and Premium configurations while Premium deliveries already stretch into 2027. For the Cybertruck, it accelerates the transition away from a stainless-steel pickup that underperformed relative to initial volume expectations.
Tesla Model Y Standard Full Review: Is it worth the lower price?
The freed capacity and reduced complexity directly support Cybercab scaling. Tesla began pilot Cybercab production at Giga Texas in early 2026, launched paid autonomous rides in Austin in September, and is preparing for substantial volume growth.
By streamlining the existing vehicle portfolio, the company is reallocating factory space, engineering attention, and supply-chain resources toward its purpose-built Robotaxi, which lacks a steering wheel or pedals and is designed exclusively for unsupervised autonomy.
The result is a leaner retail lineup today and a clearer path to high-volume Cybercab deployment tomorrow.
Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries
SpaceX Starship Flight 15: How to watch the double catch attempt
