You could argue though Tesla isn’t targeting the average Joe, since they basically still haven’t made a affordable EV that they have mentioned they are working on (I think the new affordable cyber truck is still above the 40k promise, and they hinted the price will likely rise).

For luxury car owners or people who want the statement, subscriptions are good way to capture additional payment. Since if customers wanted to pick the cheapest option, they would have already picked something else.