Change from alcantara to cloth on PUP???

[dms]

I configured my Model 3 on Jan 5th. All photos published by Tesla showed the alcantara headliner. I really was expecting this. I really do not like the other version.

 

[swegman]

There was a period in 2013 where even the top of the line cars with all the interior upgrades didn’t come with alcantara headliner. My 2013 P85 was one of those. So this is not an unprecedented thing for Tesla to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows back up again at some later date once they sort out the supply issue. Those in the middle period just get what they get if they buy the car.

I will say the new fabric does look nicer than the fabric on my old S.

My 2013 P85 was shipped without the Alcantara headliner and without the leather trim. It was noted by the delivery people on the punchout list and was corrected by Tesla st a later time. I was told they ran out of the materials so theyinstalled what they had to keep production going. Note that my car was not the only car with this issue. They produced many cars without the alcantara headliner and replaced them for all owners that requested it. Tesla offered me a $5,000 reduction if I accepted the car with the textile headliner, as replacement of the headliner Alonso required replacement of the front windshield. I paid $12,000 for the performance package because I wanted the specific interior, and thus declined the cash offer.

 

[flashflooder]

Precisely. What’s more, the Apple analogy also does not include several unexpected improvements, including substantial overdelivering on the core performance of the product I described a few posts upthread.

If you're going to be bringing Elon tweets / statements into the discussions, we could argue endlessly about what was promised vs over/under delivered (and in some cases not delivered at all).

Let's not pretend like Elon's word carries the same weight as thousands of produced cars sent out into the world to be reviewed.

The car you're picking up today performs exactly the same as the review unit, has the same battery capacity as the review unit. But the $5000 of upgrades you paid for no longer includes the same materials as the review unit. Criminality and other hyperbole aside, I think that's a pretty significant shortfall on Tesla's part. And their silence / spin is what makes it so appalling, to me.

 

[SteveG3]

I'll concede that it's probably somewhere in between the entire surface and the power button. The bottom line, however, is that is is not an acceptable way to do business. I can't believe people are actually (and aggressively, in some cases) defending it.

Like I said before, the material itself is not that important to me, it's just the complete lack of accountability on Tesla's part that really bothers me. If the change was planned, as they stated, then they deliberately showed the world a different product than they were going to be delivering.

Had Tesla come out and told the truth: that they can't get the Alacantra anymore (at least that'd be my guess), and sorry, but we're giving you a really nice "premium textile" instead... I don't think we'd be seeing quite the same reaction. I know personally, I would've shrugged and probably said "that kinda sucks". Instead they tried to sweep it under the rug, and are now lying about it.

I do agree with the last two paragraphs. I suspect, as you wrote, it was about getting in a rough spot with a supplier cutting out on them. I don’t know why that wasn’t just honestly shared with us rather than telling us this was planned. We don’t know the context here. I can think of reasons that they may have seen a real downside in just being totally transparent (such as concern other suppliers might follow this precedent), or, the “we were always planning this” statement might of just been off-the-cuff defensiveness on being asked about a move that was handled with numbness to the customer experience. That said, even if the latter is the case, I wouldn’t read into it that Tesla’s way of going about things is exploiting the customer... that’s why I made the post just a few back about several substantial ways Tesla surprised us with over delivering on this very same product.

 

[Yinn]

I have the alcantra on my AP2 S. I had textile on my AP1 X, and luckily found textile again on my AP2 X. I much prefer it over the alcantra. It's much less maintenance - the Alcantra can end up looking smooshed. It's easier to clean off - rub with an antibacterial wipe of your choice. And a personal prefference, but I just like the way it looks. Not a fan at all of Alcantra. The only time I like it is on a steering wheel, and only if I get to replace it after it goes flat and gets slick and nasty.

 

[Stoneymonster]

Wait until folks figure out that Tesla can (and has!) remove or change features you like overnight from the car you already have.

 

[Sunshine State]

I’ve seen in some posts people waking up to this being a bait-and-switch, class actionable, and, as some are noting, possibly criminal situation.

What I’m surprised is not being focused on is how wide the deception from Tesla is, and on far more important issues than headliner.


How about the battery size and the range of these cars? Just a little important in an EV, right?

Tesla lies to us here. Elon explicitly tweeted the Model 3 cannot have a battery size larger than 75 kWh. What are they shipping? A bloated 80.5 kWh pack. If that’s not bad enough, apparently the usable capacity is 78.2 kWh. Yup even the usable capacity is more than the 75 kWh pack size Elon told us was the biggest we’d need to lug around.

Tesla even was so bold as to blatantly change EPA numbers on range. EPA range rating on the LR Mod 3? 334 miles. Yet Tesla somehow got the EPA to suppress those numbers and make the public rating 310 miles.

Ugh, that confounded showy handling!!!

Tesla never gave us any warning that the Model 3 would have handling that makes us look like we think we’re better than people with BMW 3 series, Mercedes C class, etc. I was told about an EV with good (but not too good!) range, not a hedonistic driving experience that’s going to shake up people’s ideas about the kind of performance possible that in this class of car. If this thing was going to be saddled with the handling of a BMW M3, Tesla should of told us in advance. Get it straight Elon, learn to underpromise and overdeliver.


Don’t get me started on the trunk opening!

Tesla quite clearly showed us a trunk opening at the reveal that was compact and modest. Now review after review comments on the oddity of the trunk opening that is disturbingly almost hatchback wide. It’s not just making the car less appealing, it’s this pattern of not even telling us they might deliver something other than what we were shown.

0-60 times which Tesla had to know some car shoppers obsess over?

Now that the car is getting out to more than Tesla/SpaceX employees, this looks like yet another bait-and-switch. That 5.1 second 0-60 they promised? Multiple reports using VBOXs of the actual time being on the other, the wrong, side of 5 seconds.

How many times has Tesla told us they’d learn from the Model X and not try to add too much tech into the Model 3?

This brings us to windshield-wiper-gate. We all saw the videos of the first couple thousand Model 3s. We all saw Tesla kept the control of those wipers to the driver only... no over-techy programming having the car try to handle the rain for you. Changed. Not only changed without advance notice, changed on those first few thousand cars already built and already enjoyed without this nonsense via an OTA update.




Look I get that some people like the look of the alacantara and prefer that it be there. From the photos I’ve seen, I think I’m one of them myself. I’m not saying anyone should not give their feedback. I appreciate Tesla hearing these preferences. I just wonder about adding to this helpful feedback (and seeking a response from Tesla to these concerns), ideas like outrage, intent to exploit the customer, criminality, etc.

Oh he drowned kittens, but helped the old lady across the street so it’s ok. I get it now

 

[Stoneymonster]

Oh he drowned kittens, but helped the old lady across the street so it’s ok. I get it now

If you want people to take this issue seriously, this isn't the way to do it. Sounds awfully petty to equate animal abuse with not getting your preferred fabric and Tesla being bad at PR.

 

[ianandmel]

I don't see "Alcantara" anywhere in the "Premium Upgarde" text/description. Why would folks assume it's "Alcantara"? I'm thinking it's a cheaper knock off...not saying it's inferior...just saying it's not "Alcantara".

Those pics look nothing like my S which has Alcantara. Alcantara is a swede sort of appearance and feel...those pics look like fabric.

 

[dms]

I for one am not happy the change. Do not know if my Model 3 that I configured on Jan 5th will have it or not.

 

[insaneoctane]

After 10 minutes of googling, here's perfect evidence why many consider this bait and switch:

"The build quality is admired and the plethora of alcantara accents throughout the car give it a premium feel."
Check Out the Tesla Model 3's Spacious Interior

"This package gave you alcantara headliner, soft touch materials (in place of hard plastic) and other niceties such as led fog and cornering lights as well as ambeint led lighting"
Model 3 Premium Package is a STEAL (By Tesla standards)

"The reality is indeed minimalist, but it doesn't feel cheap, at least when premium interior upgrades are added. Those include the same suede-like headliner material found in the Model S, "open pore" wood running across the dash, adjustable power seats, an impressive high-end audio system designed by Tesla, docking for two smartphones and a tinted glass roof that extends over the front and rear seats."
FIRST DRIVE: Model 3 Shoehorns Tesla Excitement Into An Impressive Small Package

"The steering wheel is fat, deep and feels great in the hand, though I must admit the thumb wheels do feel a bit more like plastic compared to the other materials, which are quite premium -- in the Premium trim, at least. Headliner, dash, seats and even the wood insets felt nice to the touch. It's definitely more than on par with cars available from the low $40,000 range."
Tesla Model 3 is well worth the hype

"The suede-seeming ceiling material also felt nice and fancy."
https://jalopnik.com/the-tesla-model-3-makes-the-future-feel-normal-1821684820

"Meanwhile, the Premium package gussies up the interior with “premium seating and cabin materials throughout.” The one material highlighted is open pore wood trim, but the suede door inserts are also part of the deal, along with the leather upholstery."
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2018-tesla-model-3-details-revealed/

 

[jza619]

The pics originally uploaded in this post are both textile/fabric for the S and the 3.

The Performance upgraded interior in the past Model S, X used the Alcantara headliner.

The new Model S, X use the textile/fabric headliners. The new/2018 Model 3’s are aligning to the S, X and will have textile/fabric headliners.

 

[hmmm]

Any guesses as to what will be used for non-PUP cars?

 

[Xminus6]

Just picked up our 3. Textile, and it's fine. I mean, the whole roof is glass. There's a minimum amount of any fabric on the roof.

 

[stevejust]

Of all the controversial things that has happened through the years with Tesla, you draw the line at Headliner-Gate?

Kind of... I think aside from charging people for FSD and not delivering on the S and X for a while, this is the worst of the complaints. I've never been too persuaded by complaints about battery size, or the complaint about theoretical horsepower vs. horsepower delivered, or many of the prior complaints. The adaptive headlights kerfuffle was a big-ish deal, but Tesla fixed that at the service centers as far as I know.

I'd love to see a top 10 Tesla failures more salient than #alcantaragate, if you've got things in mind.

I’ve seen in some posts people waking up to this being a bait-and-switch, class actionable, and, as some are noting, possibly criminal situation.
...
Tesla lies to us here. Elon explicitly tweeted the Model 3 cannot have a battery size larger than 75 kWh. What are they shipping? A bloated 80.5 kWh pack. If that’s not bad enough, apparently the usable capacity is 78.2 kWh. Yup even the usable capacity is more than the 75 kWh pack size Elon told us was the biggest we’d need to lug around.

No one is going to complain or call something deception if a manufacturer over-delivers on battery size, or speed, or software updates, or any of that.

And, if people thought the woven "premium" material was a "like" material to the alcantara stuff they thought they were getting, no one would complain. If I'm having a home built and the specification calls for a Hansgrohe sink fixture, and they install a Matki instead, no one would lose their minds. But this is more like showing Hansgrohe in a model home and then installing this:

Maybe this thread has taught me that 'there's no accounting for taste,' but I suspect if it went in the opposite direction, and the early 3s had the woven material, and then the switch was made to Alcantara, instead of having @498,000 people mad at Tesla, the number would be somewhere less than @2,000 -- maybe far less, since some people seem to not have a taste to know the difference.

 

[insaneoctane]

Go vote on this topic...
[POLL] Do you care about Telsa's headliner material change?

 

[flashflooder]

at a minimum, are the door panels still alacantra? Or has it all been "upgraded" to cloth?

 

[Uncle Paul]

Kind of... I think aside from charging people for FSD and not delivering on the S and X for a while, this is the worst of the complaints. I've never been too persuaded by complaints about battery size, or the complaint about theoretical horsepower vs. horsepower delivered, or many of the prior complaints. The adaptive headlights kerfuffle was a big-ish deal, but Tesla fixed that at the service centers as far as I know.

I'd love to see a top 10 Tesla failures more salient than #alcantaragate, if you've got things in mind.



No one is going to complain or call something deception if a manufacturer over-delivers on battery size, or speed, or software updates, or any of that.

And, if people thought the woven "premium" material was a "like" material to the alcantara stuff they thought they were getting, no one would complain. If I'm having a home built and the specification calls for a Hansgrohe sink fixture, and they install a Matki instead, no one would lose their minds. But this is more like showing Hansgrohe in a model home and then installing this:

Maybe this thread has taught me that 'there's no accounting for taste,' but I suspect if it went in the opposite direction, and the early 3s had the woven material, and then the switch was made to Alcantara, instead of having @498,000 people mad at Tesla, the number would be somewhere less than @2,000 -- maybe far less, since some people seem to not have a taste to know the difference.

Model homes do this all the time. They show a fully tricked out home with all sorts of extra cost upgrades. Many a new homeowner is confronted with either buying a decontented basic home (which looks lots plainer than the model) or paying lots extra for the pricey upgrades. Faucets, appliances, flooring, molding, paint, lighting, electrical plugs, solar, custom masonry treatments, pools, water features, almost an endless number of extra cost upgrades.

Most all auto manufacturers have a disclaimer that they constantly make running changes due to supplier changes, decontenting, or just inter year changes.

 

[jelloslug]

Any guesses as to what will be used for non-PUP cars?

Used paper towels.

 

[voip-ninja]

I’d be very surprised if the current build cars are not just receiving the base model headliner. It was too quick of a change to get a new supplier. Cloth headliners were probably already in inventory or in the supply chain when the Alcantara supplier cut Tesla off across the board. I’m sure it went something like this, keep building the cars, don’t give the customers a choice they will take whatever we give them and we will figure out an alternative down the road.

The base model headliner would be a completely different part due to the deletion of the glass roof.