Unlocking Tesla Cash: Latest Incentives and Discounts for 2023

Hey everyone, DennisCW here! If you’re in the market for a Tesla, now might be the perfect time to make your move. Tesla is rolling out a ton of incentives—some might even call it "Tesla Cash"—with multiple programs that could save you thousands on your purchase. In today’s post, I’m breaking down the latest offers, including a brand-new one released just today, and discussing how you might stack these deals for maximum savings. Let’s dive in!

Tesla’s Latest Incentive: Lyft Drivers Get $1,000 Off

Tesla dropped a fresh incentive today specifically for Lyft drivers. If you drive for Lyft, you can receive $1,000 in Tesla credits upon taking delivery of any new Model S, Model X, or even a Cybertruck. Imagine pulling up to pick up a passenger in a Cybertruck—talk about a memorable ride! On top of that, Lyft drivers can snag an additional $1,000 incentive after completing 100 trips by July 13th. For active drivers, hitting that 100-trip mark in a couple of months shouldn’t be too tough.

Interestingly, this seems to have replaced a similar Uber incentive that was previously offered. Tesla appears to be repositioning their partnerships, focusing on Lyft for now. I’m curious to see if this shift sticks or if we’ll see Uber deals return in the future.

Everyday Heroes Incentive: $1,000 Off for Many

Yesterday, Tesla also enhanced their "America’s Everyday Heroes" program, offering $1,000 off to a wide range of qualifying individuals. This includes:

• Active duty military, retirees, spouses, and surviving spouses
• First responders (police, EMTs, etc.)
• Students (a huge group!)
• Teachers, principals, school employees, and even college/university professors

All you need to do is verify your status through ID.me, and make sure the email tied to your ID.me account matches the one used for your Tesla purchase. Once verified, you’re redirected to the design studio to order your Tesla with the discount applied. Simple!

However, there’s one notable omission from this list: healthcare workers like nurses and doctors. I’ve seen some chatter in the comments about this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Tesla adds them soon due to the feedback. They’ve been incredibly creative with these promotions, so let’s see what’s next.

The Full List of Tesla Cash Incentives

Here’s a roundup of all the current Tesla incentives you can take advantage of (as of now):

1. Tesla Loyalty Discount: If you’re a current Tesla owner, you can get $500 off a Model 3 or Model Y, or $1,000 off a Model S, Model X, or Cybertruck.
2. Early Model Y Owner Bonus: If you own a 2021 or older Model Y, you might have received a text or email from Tesla offering $2,000 off a new purchase.
3. America’s Everyday Heroes: As mentioned, $1,000 off for military, first responders, students, teachers, and more.
4. Lyft Driver Incentive: $1,000 off plus an additional $1,000 in Tesla credits after 100 trips.

With car affordability hitting its lowest point this year (according to Car Dealership Guy, average monthly payments have spiked to $753), it’s no surprise Tesla is rolling out these aggressive incentives to keep sales strong. They’re clearly trying to make their vehicles more accessible amid rising prices across the industry.

What’s Missing? And What’s Next?

While Tesla’s current lineup of incentives covers a broad audience, the absence of healthcare workers stands out. I think adding a discount for nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals would be a logical and well-received next step. Another idea floating around is an EV Trade-In Bonus—imagine getting an extra $1,000 or $2,000 for trading in your current electric vehicle, whether it’s a Tesla or a competitor like Rivian, Lucid, or Nissan Leaf. Other brands are offering similar "conquest" incentives, so why not Tesla?

I’m curious to hear from you: What incentive do you think Tesla should add next? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. It feels like Tesla is copy-pasting these program pages and tweaking the qualifications, so we could see even more creative promotions soon.

A Bigger Issue for Tesla Owners

There’s also a lingering issue for many current Tesla owners that might be holding them back from upgrading to a new model. I’ll dive deeper into that topic in a future post (stay tuned for tomorrow!), but for now, let’s just say it’s a significant sticking point that Tesla might need to address to keep their loyal customer base engaged.

Protect Your Credit Before Financing a Tesla

One last thing—if you’re planning to finance your Tesla, make sure you protect your credit first. I recently came across a shocking story about Bank of America having a data breach and not notifying customers for a full month. That’s your Social Security number, phone number, and email potentially exposed without you even knowing. On average, companies take 277 days to report breaches—9 months of vulnerability!

That’s why I use Aura, today’s sponsor, to keep my personal information safe. Aura constantly scans the dark web and alerts me if anything tied to me shows up, whether it’s my social, bank info, or other data. They also help reduce spam calls, remove my data from sketchy broker sites, and offer up to $5 million in identity theft insurance—all in one easy app. You can try Aura free for 14 days at aura.com/denniscw (link in the description as well). Don’t wait until it’s too late—protect your credit before you apply for financing. I’m doing it, and you should too.

Final Thoughts

Tesla is clearly pulling out all the stops with these incentives to make their vehicles more affordable and appealing. Whether you’re a Lyft driver, a student, a first responder, or a loyal Tesla owner, there’s likely a discount waiting for you. But with so many programs, I want to know: Do you qualify for any of these incentives? And what other groups or bonuses should Tesla consider? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you in the next post where we’ll tackle that big issue for current Tesla owners. Until then, stay charged!

-DennisCW