Can Someone Explain To Me Why The LR RWD Is Going Away?

[Leafdriver333]

My guess is that It simplifies things for manufacturing lines.
Now they have one line with smaller battery with one motor.
A second line for larger battery with two motors going in the car.

 

[Knightshade]

Lunares pretty much covered it- Model 3 production is battery constrained, LR RWD is the worst thing for you to order from Teslas perspective in that situation so they discourage ordering it.

If they fix the battery constraint it'll go back on menu.... (though how they're gonna do that AND have enough batteries for Model Y which should outsell the 3, and then somehow also find batteries for other vehicles they want to make, plus all the powerwalls nobody is able to order because they're all going into cars, is a pretty good question... even getting GF1s current setup running at what should be full capacity (35 vs 24) won't be nearly enough for that.

 

[StellarRat]

The LR RWD is still the longest ranged car in the M3 fleet. I'm not sure why they discontinued, but it has significantly more range than any other M3. IMO it should always be available as a special order.

 

[Sully151]

The LR RWD is still the longest ranged car in the M3 fleet. I'm not sure why they discontinued, but it has significantly more range than any other M3. IMO it should always be available as a special order.

It only has 15 miles over the AWD.

 

[Munka]

I'm supremely curious. If it was still offered as a config on the website I'd have to imagine it would be one of the most popular configurations. Even with it "off menu", the "LR RWD Waiting Room" thread is proof of people's continued interest.

With the more expensive S and X that Dual Motor istandard makes more sense, but with the Model 3 (and next year with the Model Y) there's lots of reasons for people to want the longest range and not dual motor, if they live in southern states or other countries where winter weather isn't a big concern.

Are we living in a bubble and really no one is buying them? Or could it be it's the least profitable Model 3 config?

Thoughts?

I agree, the LR RWD Model Y is the most likely replacement to my Model S P100D in a few years. Though obviously I'm in no rush to downgrade on the performance (5.8 seconds would feel like an eternity), we need the range and the seats. I'm in Perth Australia, there is no historical record of it ever snowing here, or anywhere near here in range of the Model Y!

I really hope they don't scrap the LR RWD Y. Hopefully by then they can make enough batteries to support a wider range of cars with varied profit margins.

 

[srs5694]

I really hope they don't scrap the LR RWD Y. Hopefully by then they can make enough batteries to support a wider range of cars with varied profit margins.

By the time the Model Y is actually in production, Tesla will have brought back and re-killed the Model 3 LR RWD configuration about five more times. (Plus two more times before the RHD version of the Model Y for Australia is available.)

Seriously, though, the Model Y is far enough from full-scale production, especially for RHD markets, that it's best to not give it much thought right now. Tesla's plans will change. By the time it's available, there may also be viable competition from other automakers, too.

 

[lampcord]

Our 3 (AWD) seems to have pretty equal wear on all four tires, need to get out my depth gauge and see how exactly they are doing.

Awesome! I got AWD for the winter (and the insane acceleration) but I was hoping wear would be more even as well.

 

[Lhshockey24]

The salesman at my dealer said it was one of their best sellers.

I thought it was still available “off the menu” they said it was 2-3 weeks to get one.

Maybe they are stockingng up for the Y.

I overheard an advisor tell a customer at the Rocklin, CA store “congrats, that was the last LR in inventory for the region.”

 

[igranderojo]

"In line with what is stated above, my guess it that they are trying to maximize # of deliveries and margin given their battery production constraints."
>>>>>>>>>>>

Excellent summary in one sentence. This is overall strategy. Details were in post about battery production capacity.

 

[mkobliska]

LR RWD will come back at some point. Just like the SR with cloth seats most likely.

Right now Tesla model 3 is production constrained (model S/X are a different story). Specifically they are still battery constrained (GF1 running at 24GWh per year instead of 35 for undisclosed reasons. Both Tesla and Panasonic not wanting to build out more lines yet). At 24 GWh that's 430k SR+ or 320k LR per year, assuming no powerwall/energy supply.

Since they are battery constrained, their goal is most profit per battery. The SR+ uses less batteries so even though they make less per car, they sell more cars. P3D has great margins and lowest demand so easy to keep that on the menu.

But an LR RWD vs LR AWD uses the same batteries, but Tesla makes more selling an AWD. And for the batteries in 3 SRs they can only sell 2 RWDs and they make more selling 3 SRs.

So LR RWD will be discontinued until demand drops (and Tesla isnt battery constrained) or Tesla expands battery production

1. Manufacturing efficiency;
2. Permutation reduction for inventory matching;
3. Upselling.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

1. Manufacturing efficiency;
2. Permutation reduction for inventory matching;
3. Upselling.

Combining:
1. Margin

 

[jim0266]

It only has 15 miles over the AWD.

The Tesla range chart (Tesla Range Table - Teslike.com) shows at 55mph the RWD has 29 more miles of range over the AWD (both with 18's and Aeros) and at 80mph the difference is 19 miles. I would expect at speeds down to 35-40mph the range gap between the AWD and RWD would widen even more. If you ever need to eek out every last mile of range the LR RWD is king.

 

[dbc00p]

LR RWD was discontinued last year and then brought back early this year. I’m not exactly sure what the logic is behind those decisions but I suspect it will make a comeback in the near future. It’s the perfect car for Californians who would prefer the extra range and don’t generally drive in winter like conditions. And California is their biggest market in North America so they can only go so long without offering the model before sales will be impacted here.

The AWD model is nice but an extra $4K, 15 fewer miles, and little benefit in warm weather climates just doesn’t make sense to most of us. The extra speed is nice but not enough to justify another $4K in my opinion. For now the gap between SR+ and LR AWD is too wide.

I drove my LR RWD through a western New York winter driving 120 miles per day, 4 days a week, no issues. Just adding that although the AWD is nice, it's hardly necessary for people that stick to well traveled routes in winter conditions.

 

[Zippy114]

Regarding cloth seats ... Audi used to offer 'regular' and 'sports' seats in the old A4's. I think of the current Model 3 seats as 'sports' seats. At some point Tesla could offer simpler (not as much side bolster, etc) cloth seats that perhaps are not made in house - by a volume seat manufacturer for lower cost. Anyway, I think there is 'room' - just speculating.

 

[EfficientWatts]

I hope the following comes back or actually released in some form or fashion (for the NA market at least):

• LR RWD (most likely)
• P3D- (already see this in RHD markets, though could be temporarily)
• Silver paint
• Actual cloth/SR interior (never was released, but I can see this happening once Tesla is actually able to scale)

We also have solid white (or what we think will be solid white) coming back as well.

Super long-term goal: black headliner for 3 and Y. That would go better with the white seats, but that is least likely to happen until they can really scale.

 

[navguy12]

I'm supremely curious. If it was still offered as a config on the website I'd have to imagine it would be one of the most popular configurations. Even with it "off menu", the "LR RWD Waiting Room" thread is proof of people's continued interest.

With the more expensive S and X that Dual Motor istandard makes more sense, but with the Model 3 (and next year with the Model Y) there's lots of reasons for people to want the longest range and not dual motor, if they live in southern states or other countries where winter weather isn't a big concern.

Are we living in a bubble and really no one is buying them? Or could it be it's the least profitable Model 3 config?

Thoughts?

I've had my LR RWD for 13 months and thru one winter up here in eastern Ontario.

It's been the perfect winter car, with appropriate winter tires.

No clutching the steering wheel with a death grip while passing trucks on slush covered freeways.

And the LR made typical summer routes totally achievable in the winter (I. E. no need for supercharger stops).

 

[navguy12]

Theoretically, yes, if both motors/axles are used all the time. Especially if you do a lot of ‘launches’ and the like, definitely a different with all wheels powered and the soft tread.

I don’t recall the 3’s final config. Are both motors going all the time (more or less)? On the S and X, it’s speed related where the front one takes over at highway speed.

I assume regen comes into it also, where there’s more wear (equalizing) on the front tires with AWD.

Our 3 (AWD) seems to have pretty equal wear on all four tires, need to get out my depth gauge and see how exactly they are doing.

I've got a total of 25,000 kms on the original 18 inch tires (only had winters on for three months) and one rotation (RWD)....using a depth gauge, no difference in wear across the tread of/between all four tires.

 

[Rich A.]

No way you can convince me that the cost of ultrafabric is low enough that the margin gained by cloth isn't worth it. But I can easily be convinced the cost to change up the production line to deal with things like cloth seats and no glass roof and any body stamp changes would be way too much compared to the sales.

Right now, Tesla has no problem selling SR+'s at 40k each. I think eventually we will see a return of the true SR model that was originally promised with no glass roof, cloth seats, no power or heated seats etc as a cheaper model to draw people in. But right now there just isn't the ability to create a line for that and they would lose money doing so. Maybe when they change up the lines for Model Y production, or as a line in the China GF factory. Either way wouldn't anticipate seeing this until demand slows.

I've long had this theory that Tesla might eventually start manufacturing a less expensive Model 3 version (call it the SR-) in China, and then import that model into the U.S. The base version would lack the glass roof, heated seats, and other amenities, and perhaps have 17" wheels and tires, a reduced range (say, 180 miles?), and a smaller motor that would be good for a 0-60 acceleration time of around 6.5 seconds --- and sell for under $30K. That would be a best-seller for sure.

 

[rrsurfer1]

1

It only has 15 miles over the AWD.

That's rated range which is largely made up. Actual testing shows it's more significant than the rated range increase. I've had no issue in rough roads with mud and snow in my LR RWD. This ain't ICE traction control.

 

[eprosenx]

I've long had this theory that Tesla might eventually start manufacturing a less expensive Model 3 version (call it the SR-) in China, and then import that model into the U.S. The base version would lack the glass roof, heated seats, and other amenities, and perhaps have 17" wheels and tires, a reduced range (say, 180 miles?), and a smaller motor that would be good for a 0-60 acceleration time of around 6.5 seconds --- and sell for under $30K. That would be a best-seller for sure.

I have wondered this as well. I suspect we ship more cars to China than get produced there and shipped here, so shipping might be very inexpensive on the backhaul...

Maybe we could get less crappy paint! (lower environmental standards than in California)

Frankly, from a cost standpoint I can’t see how Tesla continues manufacturing in California for anything other than super high end product lines or development lines. Given time, Tesla will push production to lower cost areas of the country/world.