Tesla is one of the most exciting companies in the United States. Few companies inspire as much change and forward progression as the likes of Tesla. But while Tesla and CEO Elon Musk are always making headlines, one might start to wonder: How does Tesla treat their employees?
In a time when many companies are coming under fire for not providing adequate pay or benefits, Tesla is considered to be a quality employer overall. They offer good health insurance, employee stock purchasing programs, paid time off, and more. And for true Tesla fans working for the company, there is one juicy benefit that has people talking: The Tesla employee discount!
What is the Tesla Employee Discount?
As part of their suite of employee benefits, Tesla offers many employees a discount on Tesla goods – both on accessories and on Tesla vehicles themselves.
The Tesla Employee Discount is not publicly advertised, so we do not know full details of what discounts are offered. However, we can look to a handful of reports from past employees to see what sort of employee discount has been offered in the past.
In a round-up of employee benefits, Futurefuel.io lists the Tesla Employee Discount at up to 35%. But before you get too excited about scoring a Model S for a huge discount, recognize that the highest discounts are likely reserved for accessories, clothing and swag. It’s highly unlikely that Tesla is handing out vehicles at such as a huge discount, particularly considering that many models have been back-ordered for months. If Tesla has customers lining up to purchase vehicles at full price, they have little reason to offer steep discounts on car purchases to their employees.
Do Tesla Employees Get Discounts on Tesla Vehicles?
There is a Tesla Employee Discount for things like accessories and services, but is there any discount on the vehicles themselves?
Most likely not.
Multiple threads on Quora have showed many Tesla employees reporting that there is NO employee discount on Tesla vehicles. It appears that company policy restricts the use of discounts for anybody. Even Elon Musk’s own family members have had to pay full-price for their Tesla vehicles.
With that said, some people have reported that Tesla employees may get preferential treatment in terms of their place in line for new Tesla vehicles. Since many models are back-ordered, this could be a significant perk for those looking to score a new Tesla as soon as possible.
It’s also possible that Tesla may offer beneficial financing terms for their employees. This information is not publicly available, however.
What About Other Employee Benefits?
So, the Tesla Employee Discount on vehicles may be a little underwhelming. What about other benefits of working for Tesla?
Overall, Tesla offers an impressive suite of benefits for employees:
- Quality insurance including health, dental and vision
- Stock purchase plan with employee discounts on Tesla stock
- Short & long term disability insurance
- Life insurance (Better than JP Morgan Chase?)
- Paid time off
- Much more
Of course, benefits vary significantly depending on your position at the company. Executives obviously have more benefits than factory workers. If you’re interested in applying for a position at Tesla, be sure to fully look into the benefits available to you.
Is It Worth Working at Tesla for the Employee Discount?
Is it worth getting a job at Tesla for the employee discount?
No, probably not. The discount likely applies only to accessories, and not vehicles themselves.
With that said, Tesla is a good employer overall. On Indeed, employees of the company have rated their Benefits and Compensation at 3.7 out of 5 stars.
On the other hand, Tesla has a reputation for demanding a lot out of their employees. In the end, working for Tesla makes the most sense for those who are dedicated to their root cause: advancing the future of sustainable transportation.