Tesla referral program extended three months, gives owners and their friends a chance to race a Tesla Semi

Tesla’s referral program got a midnight update today, just after the scheduled end of the previous round, which was due to end yesterday but has been extended three months. Buyers who use an owner’s Tesla referral code on a new Model S or X will receive unlimited supercharging (but now the first buyer gets an additional bonus of $500 in “Tesla credit”), and owners who refer a new buyer to a Model S or X will get various awards based on the number of referrals they get, capping out at 5. The program now runs through April 30th.

Tesla Solar is still included in the program as well. New buyers get an additional 5-year warranty on a Tesla Solar installation and referrers receive $400 cash or $750 in Tesla credit for the first four referrals, and a Founders Series Powerwall 2 for the fifth Solar referral.

The one new prize in this phase of the program is a chance to drive a Tesla Semi. This one has a lower barrier to entry – anyone who signs up for the Tesla newsletter through an owner’s code enters that owner and themselves into a weekly raffle giving both a chance to “race” a Tesla Semi around Tesla’s test track. There will even be additional prizes for the driver with the best track time.

It looks like awards carry over from the previous version of the program – if you’ve already referred 5 people, then you’re not eligible for any new awards. But if you had only managed to get 3 and have your eyes on a Powerwall 2, you’ve got a few months more to get that fourth referral.

The other awards are unchanged, getting better with increasing numbers of referrals and culminating in an invite to a Tesla event, such as the Tesla Semi reveal. Here’s the full list of awards for the program:

1 to 2 Qualifying Referrals: Owners can choose either of the options below for each of their first and second referrals.
Signature Black Wall Connector This matte black Wall Connector is exclusive to the Referral Program and includes an etch of Elon’s signature. This award will start shipping in March.
Founders Series Tesla Model S for Kids Share the Tesla experience with your kids, with this miniature drivable electric Model S – including working headlights, a sound system, and a charge port, just like yours.
3 Qualifying Referrals: Owners can choose either of the options below for their third referral.
21” Arachnid Wheels for Model S or 22” Forged Turbine Wheels for Model X Enhance the performance of your Tesla with these exclusive forged-aluminum wheels.
One Week with Model S or Model X Experience a new Model S or Model X for one week—at home or on the road. If you do not use this award, this exclusive test drive may be given to a friend.
4 Qualifying Referrals:
Founders Series Powerwall 2 Store energy for future use and provide backup power with this red, limited-production Powerwall 2 home battery. This edition is not available to the public and will become available for installation starting Fall 2017.
5 Qualifying Referrals:
Tesla Unveiling Invitation – Experience our next official unveiling event. Owners who reach five referral orders will be invited to our next unveiling event. Your VIP invitation will be valid for you and one guest.
Early Access Token for Solar Roof – Be one of the first to get Solar Roof with this early-access token for priority scheduling of a Solar Roof installation. If you do not use this award, the token may be given to a friend.

Electrek’s Take

Most notably, unlimited supercharging is still part of the program. While Tesla has been migrating away from including unlimited supercharging with all of their cars, and instead include a “yearly allowance” for un-referred Model S and X purchases, this still a way in which Model S and X can distinguish themselves from the Model 3. While the cost of supercharging is unlikely to break the bank for anyone purchasing a new $70,000+ vehicle, it’s still nice just not to have to worry about it at all in an S/X.

And since the Model 3 is such a great car (in my review I muse that it’s possibly too great if Tesla wants to keep selling Model S), it also helps that they’ve allowed the Model S and X to keep one of the features which put them a step above the 3.

There’s no mention, however, of the “annual awards” which were meant to be included in last year’s program, nor any of the “secret levels” which were shown in the “loot box” on Tesla’s mobile app. Maybe we just haven’t heard about it yet, or maybe Tesla has decided to tone down the referral program a bit. This seems reasonable, given the large number of overlapping awards available in last year’s referral program which seemed like a bit of overkill honestly.

(*Update: it looks like racing a Tesla Semi is “secret level #4” – upon referring 20 friends, an owner will get to race a Tesla Semi, regardless of whether or not they win the weekly raffle)

These programs have been popular among owners as a way to get rewards for their enthusiasm in evangelizing the brand. For the first few years of Tesla’s existence, owners would commonly find themselves convincing friends to buy Teslas simply based on their enthusiasm for their cars.

The idea was then floated at an annual shareholders meeting that Tesla might find some way to give back to owners who had brought Tesla so many sales, and the referral program was born. The program has gone through several iterations since then, with various incentives in the past both for new buyers and current owners.

While owners were generally happy to proselytize even without compensation, no doubt Tesla’s referral program has resulted in an uptick in the number of blogs and YouTube channels covering all things Tesla. We saw this at the Tesla Semi / Roadster reveal event, where there were representatives from a number of sites and channels in attendance.

If you’re looking for a Tesla referral code, lucky for you (and us), we have one. You can use our code for unlimited supercharging on the Model S or Model X, or a 5-year extended warranty on a Tesla Solar installation.

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