Tesla Inc. is offering US consumers $7,500 to take delivery of its two highest-volume models before year-end, adding to indications the carmaker is struggling with demand.

The discount on new Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles is double what the company was offering earlier this month. It mirrors an anticipated change in how much of a tax credit certain consumers will be eligible for early next year.

It’s highly unusual for Tesla to offer such perks, as Elon Musk has for years enforced a no-discounts policy. The company also departed from its chief executive officer’s insistence against spending on traditional advertising last month by promoting its wares on a local television shopping channel in China. Tesla also has cut prices and production in that market this quarter.

Eoin Treacy's view

Elon Musk’s infallibility is quickly eroding, evidenced by his ham-fisted management of Twitter. There is even talk some buyers are cancelling orders because of this negative coverage. Not many people want to be associated with a personality vilified by all but those on the fringe of public opinion. As if that is not enough, the continued spread of COVID in China will take a toll on demand for Tesla’s vehicles.

The share’s downtrend is accelerating as it approaches the psychological $100 level. The perception of Tesla’s growth potential is rapidly morphing into that of just another car company. That implies a much smaller market cap overall even if there is scope for a short-term bounce to unwind the oversold condition.