Tesla has started promoting a 1.99% APR financing offer for the Model 3 and Model Y in the United States. The incentive seems designed to encourage potential buyers to take delivery of a new Tesla by the end of the third quarter of 2024.
Tesla announced the promotion on its official Tesla North America account on social media platform X. As could be seen in the Model 3’s order page, the 1.99% APR financing offer is available for the Model 3 Long Range Rear Wheel Drive (RWD), Model 3 Long Range All Wheel Drive (AWD), and the Model 3 Performance. The offer is not available on the base Model 3 RWD, which is financed with a 5.99% APR.
1.99% APR financing now available for Model 3 Long Range & Performance trims in the US
Applies to new orders placed before 8/31, must take delivery by 9/30https://t.co/eqpjGuewQ2— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) August 2, 2024
For the Model Y, the 1.99% APR financing offer is available across the all-electric crossover’s full lineup — the Model Y Long Range RWD, Model Y Long Range AWD, and the Model Y Performance.
For both the qualified Model 3 variants and the Model Y, the 1.99% APR offer is applicable for financing plans of up to 72 months. A look at the order pages for the Model 3 and Model Y shows that customers would get an 3.99% APR if they opt for Tesla’s longest financing option of 84 months.


It should be noted that the 1.99% APR offer for the Model Y is valid for orders that are placed that are placed from July 18 to August 31, 2024. For Model 3 customers, the 1.99% APR financing offer is valid for orders placed from August 1-31, 2024. Customers must also take delivery of their Model 3 or Model Y by September 30, 2024 to qualify for the promotion.
Tesla watchers have observed that the electric vehicle maker seems to be running several promotions to encourage sales this quarter. These include free Supercharging for Model S, 3, X, and Y orders, free FSD transfer, free paint options for the Model 3 Performance, and free seating layout for the Model X AWD, among others.
Updated list of all the promotions @Tesla is currently running in the US:
• 3 free months of Supercharging (take delivery of an S/3/X/Y by August 15th, finance purchases are not eligible for Supercharging Incentive)
• Free FSD transfer (take delivery by Sept 30th)
• 1.99%… pic.twitter.com/Qgv7EFJq8A— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 2, 2024
Elon Musk has previously noted that Tesla could beat its 2023 sales record this year. Tesla delivered 1,808,561 vehicles worldwide last year, and as of the end of the second quarter, the company had delivered 830,776 vehicles globally. For Tesla to exceed FY 2023’s global sales, the company would have to deliver about 978,000 vehicles between Q3 and Q4 2024.
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Tesla hiring Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab’s end of line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments.
Tesla has posted job openings for Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab’s end-of-line assembly, an apparent indication that preparations for the vehicle’s initial production are accelerating at Giga Texas.
Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments, and certification of body assemblies to specification standards.
Employees selected for the role will collaborate with engineering and quality teams to diagnose and correct fitment and performance issues and handle detailed inspections, among other tasks.
The listing noted that candidates should be experienced with automotive body fit techniques and comfortable with physically demanding tasks such as lifting, bending, walking, and using both hand and power tools. The position is based in Austin, Texas, where Tesla’s main Cybercab production infrastructure is being built.
Cybercab poised for April production
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently reiterated that the Cybercab is still expected to start initial production this coming April. So far, numerous Cybercab test units have been spotted across the United States, and recent posts from the official Tesla Robotaxi account have revealed that winter tests in Alaska for the autonomous two-seater are underway.
While April has been confirmed as the date for the Cybercab’s initial production, Elon Musk has also set expectations about the vehicle’s volumes in its initial months. As per the CEO, the Cybercab’s production will follow a typical S-curve, which means that early production rates for the vehicle will be very limited.
“Initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
News
Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm.
Swedish labor unions are considering whether to file a police report related to a newly opened Tesla Megapack Supercharger near Stockholm, citing questions about how electricity is supplied to the site. The matter has also been referred to Sweden’s energy regulator.
Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm. Unlike traditional charging stations, the site is powered by an on-site Megapack battery rather than a direct grid connection. Typical grid connections for Tesla charging sites in Sweden have seen challenges for nearly two years due to union blockades.
Swedish labor union IF Metall has submitted a report to the Energy Market Inspectorate, asking the authority to assess whether electricity supplied to the battery system meets regulatory requirements, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). The Tesla Megapack on the site is charged using electricity supplied by a local company, though the specific provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, issued a comment about the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. “The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
Police report under consideration
The Swedish Electricians’ Association has also examined the Tesla Megapack Supercharger and documented its power setup. As per materials submitted to the Energy Market Inspectorate, electrical cables were reportedly routed from a property located approximately 500 meters from the charging site.
Tomas Jansson, ombudsman and deputy head of negotiations at the Swedish Electricians’ Association, stated that the union was assessing whether to file a police report related to the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. He also confirmed that the electricians’ union was coordinating with IF Metall about the matter. “We have a close collaboration with IF Metall, and we are currently investigating this. We support IF Metall in their fight for fair conditions at Tesla,” Jansson said.
News
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45.”
Tesla’s Hardware 4.5 computer appears to have surfaced in newly delivered Model Y vehicles, prompting fresh speculation about an interim upgrade ahead of the company’s upcoming AI5 chip.
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45,” suggesting Tesla may have quietly started rolling out revised autonomy hardware.
Hardware 4.5 appears in new Model Y units
The potential Hardware 4.5 sighting was first reported by Model Y owner @Eric5un, who shared details of a Fremont-built 2026 Model Y AWD Premium delivered this January. As per the Model Y owner, the vehicle includes a new front camera housing and a 16-inch center display, along with an Autopilot computer labeled “AP45” and part number 2261336-02-A.
The Tesla owner later explained that he confirmed the part number by briefly pulling down the upper carpet liner below the Model Y’s glovebox. Other owners soon reported similar findings. One Model Y Performance owner noted that their December build also appeared to include Hardware 4.5, while another owner of an Austin-built Model Y Performance reported spotting the same “AP45” hardware.
These sightings suggest that Tesla may already be installing revised FSD computers in its new Model Y batches, despite the company not yet making any formal announcements about Hardware 4.5.
What Hardware 4.5 could represent
Clues about Hardware 4.5 have surfaced previously in Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog. As reported by NotATeslaApp, the catalog has listed a component described as “CAR COMPUTER – LEFT HAND DRIVE – PROVISIONED – HARDWARE 4.5.” The component, which features the part number 2261336-S2-A, is priced at $2,300.00.
Longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly has noted that Tesla software has contained references to a possible three-SoC architecture for some time. Previous generations of Tesla’s FSD computer, including Hardware 3 and Hardware 4, use a dual-SoC design for redundancy. A three-SoC layout could allow for higher inference throughput and improved fault tolerance.
Such an architecture could also serve as a bridge to AI5, Tesla’s next-generation autonomy chip expected to enter production later in 2026. As Tesla’s neural networks grow larger and more computationally demanding, Hardware 4.5 may provide additional headroom for vehicles built before AI5 becomes widely available.
