Change from alcantara to cloth on PUP???

[T34ME]

Hm. I still feel that something needs to be done for the folks (notably me, of course) who ordered in good faith and aren't getting what was pictured when we configured, but I'm *less* infuriated about it now.

As I understand, you have not configured so if you are unhappy with the 'headliner' just cancel your reservation and get your money back. Consider an older CPO MS for the same price with the fake suede 'headliner.' I understand that some reservationists might be disappointed. Or you can do as I am, just spend <1cd and get the 'headliner' of your dreams at a local upholstery shop and make your life complete.

Those of us who have not taken delivery have no skin in the game. If you don't like the 'headliner', PLEASE just cancel your reservation!

 

[Ocelot]

Well the change is no big deal, the fact that Tesla continues to not communicate effectively to the consumer is a huge deal. If a delivery person informed me of the change...i would think no biggie, if it shows up changed, you feel you were taking advantage of.

You cannot picture one thing on your website and sell another. The fact that no one in the chain of command would have the thought to change the website and overtly communicate with those people who had it on order is just signs of a chaotically run company. With all the problems in the ramp, it comes as no surprise there is chaos. However, you must look after the customer. THAT is first principles!

While this essentially affected very few people in the scheme of things, it is just one of many incidents that niggles in my mind, wondering if Tesla as a company will have the service to be able to handle so many customers.

 

[zmarty]

BINGO!

Not everybody disagreeing with this move is a bear. Actually, for me it's not even the alcantara change itself that is the problem, it's what it signals about Tesla as a company. I see it as a symptom of a bigger problem.

 

[T34ME]

This is a flat out lie.

No, this is an "alternative fact." Apparently ~49% of the US population give credence to alternative facts so it might work for Tesla too!

 

[voip-ninja]

Well the change is no big deal, the fact that Tesla continues to not communicate effectively to the consumer is a huge deal. If a delivery person informed me of the change...i would think no biggie, if it shows up changed, you feel you were taking advantage of.

You cannot picture one thing on your website and sell another. The fact that no one in the chain of command would have the thought to change the website and overtly communicate with those people who had it on order is just signs of a chaotically run company. With all the problems in the ramp, it comes as no surprise there is chaos. However, you must look after the customer. THAT is first principles!

While this essentially effected very few people in the scheme of things, it is just one of many incidents that niggles in my mind, wondering if Tesla as a company will have the service to be able to handle so many customers.

The change might not be a big deal if, as you say, Tesla had simply communicated that they made a decision to change the materials... and, what's more, there will be no "premium" material on any of their vehicles that have upgraded upholstery.

The thing that makes it worse is seeing cars that have the textile headliner but have the suede sun visors, or have both in textile but then have the vanity mirror cover in suede.... and in both cases the door inserts are still suede.

It just looks like they are putting together cars with whatever they have on hand to use up supply when they should really be taking the write down to build the cars so that they look like they weren't made by a 3 year old out of whatever Duplo blocks were laying around.

 

[run-the-joules]

As I understand, you have not configured so if you are unhappy with the 'headliner' just cancel your reservation and get your money back. Consider an older CPO MS for the same price with the fake suede 'headliner.' I understand that some reservationists might be disappointed. Or you can do as I am, just spend <1cd and get the 'headliner' of your dreams at a local upholstery shop and make your life complete.

Those of us who have not taken delivery have no skin in the game. If you don't like the 'headliner', PLEASE just cancel your reservation!

I configured. There was a thing that was done to make this happen.

 

[TQCLove]

Before this thread, I didn't know what is alcantara. So most likely I won't miss it.

It’s about more than that though. Like the Alcantara, like the cloth, like both, like neither, it doesn’t matter. It’s about a complete change without any notice, only now being addressed at all by Tesla seemingly because people who already paid for their cars and were taking delivery have started to speak out. Some have even stated they have a mix and match of Alcantara and cloth! Now Tesla claims this cloth interior is “premium” even though it’s the same as my 2012 Kia Optima?

I don’t even mind the cloth at all, it’s the whole way this has gone, and continues to go down.

/big thumbs down for you Tesla. I am disappoint.

 

[T34ME]

I configured. There was a thing that was done to make this happen.

Oh, so you somehow gamed the system to jump the queue and now you are complaining because you got caught with your headliner down. Justice! I'm going to laugh my burro off if you get a car with the woven textile and I get my car in two or three months and I have an alternative alcantara 'headliner'.

 

[voip-ninja]

I configured. There was a thing that was done to make this happen.

Please share with the other kids in the class.

 

[blckccat]

I feel that there are too many people defending Tesla in this thread -- makes me think there are a lot of Tesla PR employees out in the forum.

Although I haven't done much research on this topic, if Tesla mentioned that Model 3 will have Alcantara interior, and they changed it without mentioning, this is absolutely unprofessional and is not abiding to U.S. Common Law of offering rules.

 

[McHoffa]

This turned out to more interesting than I expected. The visors are mostly covered in the same woven cloth material as the headliner and B pillar. But the little flap that covers the vanity mirror looks like the alcantara.
View attachment 272442

If they planned this like they say, they did a horrible job planning, because the combination of textile headliner and alcantara mirror covers looks really bad. Pick one or the other.

On the flipside, I'm hoping this change means they might offer black headliner by the time I order.

 

[voip-ninja]

I feel that there are too many people defending Tesla in this thread -- makes me think there are a lot of Tesla PR employees out in the forum.

Although I haven't done much research on this topic, if Tesla mentioned that Model 3 will have Alcantara interior, and they changed it without mentioning, this is absolutely unprofessional and is not abiding to U.S. Common Law of offering rules.

Actually I think it's pretty fair... most of the time it's WAY more people defending them when they do something boneheaded.

The reality is that many people don't care about the materials used as long as they pass the basic smell test.

However.... this isn't a Kia... at least not if I plunked down an extra $5K for a glass roof and other "nice stuff". If they need to switch materials to keep production going they should have just made that completely clear.... and they should offer something other than "suck it" to those who were expecting the product that is in all of their marketing materials.

My current $57,000 car does NOT have this material (it still has something that's an upgrade from what base model cars have though) but it's been in some of the other pimped rides I've driven like an RS4, M3, etc. I was actually kind of looking forward to it and am let down by this.

I might not cancel my reservation over it, but it would be nice if Tesla could at least make the whole damn interior match. Even better, give us an option now to change the color on something if we don't want cheap looking beige cloth on the A, B and C pillars.

 

[MotoEvCA]

Actually I think it's pretty fair... most of the time it's WAY more people defending them when they do something boneheaded.

I might not cancel my reservation over it, but it would be nice if Tesla could at least make the whole damn interior match. Even better, give us an option now to change the color on something if we don't want cheap looking beige cloth on the A, B and C pillars.

I think your perspective is quite reasonable. I think many people need to / want to not see what Tesla does behind closed doors in a sober fashion. This is about Tesla managing negative circumstances through PR. The change looks hasty and more of a reaction than a planned action.

Some have accused Elon / Tesla of lying about the circumstances but the supplier has decided to not want to talk about it 'on the record' and tell their side of the story.

When caught 'with your pants down' and a 'breakup occurs' instead of gathering your items and fixing yourself up, you may leave a clothing item, sock or shoe behind during the ensuing chaos (pillars one material and visors still alcantara). Maybe the parts supplier cut Tesla off suddenly because the benjamins stopped flowing as promised and Tesla had to find a 'side supplier' quickly.

Who knows what caused the 'split' (money, terms, trust) between the supplier and Tesla but it is clear it was hasty and not planned as one would have hoped.

A lot of drama (20+ pages) and unhappy people over a piece of fabric gone wrong.

 

[Twiglett]

personally - I am only qualified to speak for myself.
My biggest concern isn't really that some bits of headliner have changed materials - allegedly a planned move.
I've seen a whole bunch of pics of interiors - all fake suede, with one or two pics of the new cloth.
There have been comments that some parts are still suede others cloth, some cars are getting more cloth than others - who knows.

The bottom line is that on Monday I knew exactly what would have been delivered once I'd ordered.
Now I have no idea what will be delivered. Will the door be cloth lined too? Will everything that was previously fake suede now be cloth?
Are the doing a slow transition? It seems to be a crapshoot right now.

This is the most expensive car I have ever bought, now I have no clue what will arrive at the delivery center.
Not sure at this point if I'm comfortable with knowing so little about what the interior will look like.

 

[Big Earl]

Having spent a bit time in a Model S with Alcantara headliner and now a newer Model S with the “premium” textile headliner, I can say that there is no comparison between the two. The “premium” textile headliner feels rough and scratchy. It also doesn’t look as nice and traps hair and fur. It’s also more difficult to clean because the dirt gets embedded deeper into its weave.

This is very disappointing news, as I’ve been looking forward to Alcantara trim. We will seriously look into having an upholstery shop redo our Model 3’s trim with black Alcantara if it arrives with textile.

A little side note - I love the Alcantara dash trim that was optional on the Model S.

 

[Stoneymonster]

@Stoneymonster Then again, Tesla may have had this fabric lined up for non-Premium Model 3s already... and for Model S/X they definitely had it already for the base configs...

Yeah could be. Everything about this is SNAFU Tesla.

 

[dragonxt]

Here's an Excerpt from Teslarati

A Tesla spokesperson confirmed with Teslarati that Model 3 will be produced with the same premium textile material that’s used in Model S and Model X vehicles.

“As we continue to increase production of Model 3 and produce more high quality cars for customers, all Model 3 vehicles are being made with the same premium textile headliner found in our flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, which has always been planned at this stage of production.”

They planned to use alcantara for the first few cars? Hmmm

Also, the S and X still seems to come with alcantara with premium seating options.

 

[kengchang]

Theory : Model 3 Alcantara headliner was made from S/X left over scrap

 

[jjwardSD]

Does anyone think the alcantara on the Model 3 doors will go away soon as well? If Tesla is truly moving away from all alcantara, then it seems that would be the next near term change. I have no idea what would go in its place.

 

[dragonxt]

Does anyone think the alcantara on the Model 3 doors will go away soon as well? If Tesla is truly moving away from all alcantara, then it seems that would be the next near term change. I have no idea what would go in its place.

My understanding is that is gone as well right?

If not then well... It's not all bad. With the glass roof there's very little headliner anyway.