Tesla has reduced the price of some of its most popular electric vehicles by thousands of pounds in Europe and the United States in an effort to increase customer demand.

The company is facing a difficult global economic outlook as well as increased competition from other automakers.

Price reductions range from 10% to 13% in the UK but can reach 20% on some US models.

New UK customers will save £5,500 on the base Model 3 and £7,000 on the base Model Y.

However, over 16,000 customers purchased those best-selling models last year, and some were upset because they had paid more.

One Tesla owner posted on a Tesla Facebook group: “I just got the car yesterday. How should I proceed? Return the vehicle to Tesla? I can’t believe I lost £5k within a few hours of picking up the car “.

Customers in China, where Tesla announced price cuts last week, responded similarly.

Disgruntled Tesla owners demonstrated outside Tesla distribution centers in Shanghai and other cities over the weekend, demanding compensation.

Tesla has reduced prices in China twice in the last six months, and they are now 13% to 24% lower than in September.

To avoid similar objections in the United States and Europe, Tesla announced that customers who had ordered but had not yet received their vehicle would be charged the new lower price.

Electrifying.com’s Ginny Buckley said the price cuts were still controversial and would “send shockwaves” through the industry because Tesla was transitioning from a premium to a more mainstream product.

Paul Hollick, chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals, welcomed the price cuts, who said they would make electric vehicles more affordable to his members. However, he stated that the “disorderly marketing” was not good news.

“A move of this magnitude is unavoidably divisive. The company would be wise to institute some form of redress.” he stated