Disappointing roll-out

[CyberShy]

I’m afraid that this reveal gave us exactly what we expected. Really.

Tesla has a hype problem. They can no longer live up to it.

It will be a fine CUV.

Please, lay off the hate. It’s going to be a blast.

 

[fbitz777]

The goal was to reassure stockholders that Tesla is here to stay.

did not work too good today....I lost almost enough to buy a Y. But again I lost and gained many times over the years

They needed to bring the pickup truck or at least talk about it!
Also the Y should not take 2 years to be available....there will be alternatives then (Audi, Jaguar,...) in that space.

 

[MXWing]

I’m afraid that this reveal gave us exactly what we expected. Really.

Tesla has a hype problem. They can no longer live up to it.

It will be a fine CUV.

Please, lay off the hate. It’s going to be a blast.

Elon could have talked about the 100% all glass roof but he didn't. He didn't talk about the chrome delete. He didn't talk about the obvious deeper frunk or how much room you have when you fold the middle seats down flat.

It's called ANTISELLING. Hey people! Buy the 3.. its available now

I'd trade my 3 for a Y right now if it wasn't for the financial penalty. It's a great car. I was in AWE sitting in the back and looking up in the sky while it was being driven around SpaceX.

Tesla didn't make the Model Y a mini Model X because the Model X almost killed the company.

Damned if they make a spaceship. / Damned if they make something practical, cheap, and available sooner.

 

[abasile]

In some ways, we've probably set our expectations unrealistically high for Tesla unveiling events.

The Model 3 was and is truly groundbreaking, as it's the first truly compelling EV that's accessible to a large fraction of new car buyers. The Model X is very different from the Model S and offers some pretty showy features. The Model S was Tesla's first EV manufactured in significant numbers. The Semi addresses a whole different market, though I think people would have found the Semi "reveal" to be sort of boring without the surprise introduction of the new Roadster.

The Model Y, on the other hand, is incremental in nature; it's a large Model 3, essentially. It'll be a great vehicle, and I'm excited about its surprise up-to-7 seating capacity, but it's not groundbreaking in the same manner as the Model 3.

For me, there were a few other "wow" moments in the unveiling, namely:
- Semi prototype with a 500 mile range that had been driven nonstop from Fremont
- V3 Superchargers will replace many of the existing Superchargers
- 2019 to be the "year of the solar roof", after months of uncertainty as to this product's future

Those are exciting developments from the standpoint of TSLA investors who are closely following the company! However, I think it'll take time for most consumers and Wall Street analysts to fully appreciate the significance of what Tesla is doing.

 

[aronth5]

The Model Y is what the Model 3 should been to begin with.

 

[howardc64]

Spent better part of the night explaining the difference between Y and 3 to wife since she couldn't see the difference.

In the early days, cross overs basically added "rugged bits" with plastic bumper and wheel well panels and some interior accents + taller suspension (taller struts and slight suspension component size changes to maintain proper toe/camber geometry). As it evolved, these rugged bits got more integrated.

Model Y shows how much Tesla design team is in love with their design language. Basically not much rugged visual differentiator bits were added. I know its all cosmetic and probably even bad for the air drag but visual differentiators are highly necessary for high variety commodity products. Y has the right function (hatchback xover/SUV) but needed more "form" to communicate its intent.

Result is less visual differentiator from the 3. This will probably cannibalize 3 sales. While SUV/Xover is eating Sedans in the mega trends, Tesla probably get better overall demand results with greater visual differentiation even its superficial.

Tesla's visual design DNA works well well for wide wheel bases like S and the new Roadster. For smaller chassis, traditional auto makers have shown its really hard to translate the same design language across multiple size platforms (eg the classic BMW 3/5/7) Each version needs its size specific tweaks. Germans tweak in mid model cycle while Japanese is tweaking within 1-2 years after model launch.

 

[Ostrichsak]

No more than me. However, the presentation wasn't really about the Model Y. That was really the "one more thing". The presentation's main point was to show how far Tesla has come despite all the hurdles, FUD, and outright attacks from the media that get zero revenue from Tesla. The goal was to reassure stockholders that Tesla is here to stay.

If that were the case they wouldn't have told everyone so far in advance that it was about the Model Y. That's not how a "one more thing" approach works. The "one more thing" needs to be something that catches people off guard like the Roadster reveal during the semi launch.

 

[X Fan]

I was going to start a thread similar to this about how underwhelmed I was. I actually like the look a little bit better than the Model 3 but I'm sure those that own & live with the Model 3 every day will disagree since it's what they're used to. I feel like the proportions of the Y look better than they do on the Model 3 in a similar design.

I think one massive negative though is that rear jump-seat. They clearly did that for marketing purposes as real-world use is going to be less than stellar for anyone larger than a teenager. Sure you can but will you want to? They clearly just tossed it in to be able to market it as a 7-seat midsize SUV. Whatever.

That aside if you compare it to the other segment competition this vehicle will absolutely monkey-stomp it's competition in just about every measurable and quantifiable category. This is good for EVs and the acceleration of mass adoption. This is a segment that EVs desperately NEED to be competitive in so this is a positive sign for EVs. I also feel like he did NOTHING to build of the Model 3 and how significant it's been to this point. He needed to emphasize that it was a $35k car now before incentives/credits and just how many of them they were now producing a month and the truncated delivery times. There was a LOT of people who were watching that know nothing of Tesla and still think that it takes years to get one of these. Then you throw up that the Model Y isn't available until late 2021 and it just solidifies what the average person thinks of Tesla. This is all a massive marketing fail IMO.

My biggest let-down was that it was boring. For starers, Elon needs a CMO in a big way. Watching him speak is painful and as much as he's done it one would think he would be better at it by now. His presentations don't inspire confidence and excitement so how he motivates employees to do such incredible things is beyond me. He's clearly a brilliant engineer but lacks the people skills which isn't uncommon among engineers. He needs to stick to what he's good at and hire someone to speak on the companies behalf. The entire presentation was like a 7th grade student put it on and not one of the most important companies of our time. For too long he and others have underestimated this aspect of the face of the company and it's really holding Tesla back in the eyes of the general unwashed masses.

Lastly, where was the "one more thing" that we were all waiting for? Just kind of a whimper at the end "well, there's the Y. Bye." and it was over. No Model S/X refresh announcement or pickup truck news or... something. Anything! Give us something to wet our appetite and leave us all thinking "that was an awesome experience" when in reality it was trash. The last thing is what people will remember and they basically gave us nothing to positive to think of. Watching it live the silence from the crowd when they brought out the Model Y followed by "the end" wasn't as big of a hit as I think they thought it would be.

I don't know, I just think that it was incredible underwhelming just like their Model 3 $35k announcement and these are the wins they need when trying to win over Joe Six Pack.

I don’t know...there is a charm to his presentation skills vs getting a “slick” new car sales person approach.

Btw: at least he’s not the VW CEO who yesterday invoked a slogan from Nazi party:
Volkswagen CEO Sorry for Invoking Nazi Slogan During Company Meeting

 

[SSonnentag]

SAS is very important for any vehicle that can tow. The vehicle handling is completely skewed when the pitch of the vehicle is out of whack. It's one of the great benefits of the X.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

How about now?

same here - it starts at 0:00...

It's a bug (or feature) that embedded videos on TMC lose the time information. If you just post it as a link instead, it should work. You just won't see the video thumbnail.

 

[pete8314]

It's a bug (or feature) that embedded videos on TMC lose the time information. If you just post it as a link instead, it should work. You just won't see the video thumbnail.

Uurgh. 25:10 !

 

[buttershrimp]

I love the model Y ... give it a tow package and call it a day

 

[asterothe]

They should have named it 3Y or something in that sense.

 

[Vegas]

Or the 3Why?

 

[ModelNforNerd]

How about now?

LOL. no. starts from the beginning. just tell me and I'll narrow it down.

 

[CjRichMar]

I really don't get why everyone is so disappointed. What were you expecting? To me the Y seems to be exactly what Tesla told us it was going to be. A CUV version of the model 3. Where are all the people that had to have a hatchback on the model ? Well here it is.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I wasn't too excited for the Model Y in the first place. I am in the minority, but nothing could be less appealing to me than a CUV. I knew before I even saw the Model Y that it will most likely be the only Tesla vehicle which I will never drive. I was excited for last night because, like lots of others, I was hoping for a "one more thing." The Model Y is fine. The fact that it will be a money maker for Tesla is fine. I don't begrudge Tesla for anything that transpired last night (except for maybe Elon's atrocious presentation style). But the reveal would've been more exciting with an additional announcement.

 

[mkspeedr]

I was so blown away and impressed with the roll-out. IMO the Y is perfect - absolutely perfect. Exactly what Tesla needs right now - the roadster, Semi or S/X "imminent refresh" can be the big excitement.

The Y is a basic CUV designed to compete with the rest of the basic CUV class. No falcon wing door problems, no ghosting windshield issues, no moving pedestal seats, no sun visor complaints. Simple basic like all the CUVs.

If you want dont want basic get a model X. It is my favorite 4 wheel vehicle.

 

[Fiver]

Really? It's the exact same interior as the model 3. Personally that's my favorite thing about mine.

We are considering purchasing an X, but I don't want one until they refresh the interior to be more like the 3. The current one has too much going on.

To each their own. The reason I bought a X was my dislike of the 3 interior. Not enough going on. While losing buttons can be a good thing, I think they went a little overboard with the minimalism of the 3.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Those complaining that the Tesla unveil was boring must realize that is what was intended.
Prior cars had lots of advances and fresh sheet engineering and design. Trying to make those cars turned out to be a nightmare. Almost killed the company with Roadster, S, X, and 3. Problems with motors, making the gaps acceptable, designing one battery pack after another, in ability to perform on a racetrack without overheating on the first lap. On and on it went. People said they were out of their minds and these vehicles could never be profitably produced.

So now people are complaining again about all the things that are being done like they originally thought Tesla should.
No more Falcon Wing Doors, no air suspension, no state of the art gizmos, etc.

The Model Y is perfect for what they are trying to accomplish. It has known architecture so can be easily manufactured with existing technology, techniques and already trained employees. Costs will be low and spread across the model 3 line as well. Slight tweeks to deal with additional weight and payload.

The unveil was designed to sell the entire Tesla lineup. Anti-selling for the Y was in full force. It had almost nothing said about what would make it a great choice. It was on the dias for the least amount of time, and had the least amount of lighting to bring out the details and make it desirable. No competitive advantage was laid out, not even certain where it will be built. Everything was kind of in a fog. It was kind of like a mike drop where the presentation just ended with a thud. Even the test rides were short and the drivers showed little enthusiasm, just said it was kind of like a bigger model 3. No special sauce. Did not talk about possible towing, who could fit in the 3rd row, how much leg room in the 2nd row...nothing.

Actually pretty smart thing to do. The Y will not be available in any volume for a couple years. Lots still to do, and they don't want to loose a lot of Model 3 orders by encouring customers that it might be a good idea to wait for the next big thing...the Model Y.

So take it for what it is. Don't get sucked into the funk. Nothing to see here...move along...

Right now the Model 3 is a tremendous value, and can provide great driving experience. It has good range, sports car handling, quiet ride, Pretty much everyone has been asking for. Pricing has come down, Supercharging is going to get even faster with V3 technology. Autopilot is comming on strong, quality is great and service is getting more attention.

Time to buy one of the other cars on the stage. That is the reality. Model Y is yet to come.

 

[Fiver]

The Y looks like a pretty decent car. Nothing groundbreaking but I don't think anyone expected it to be.

The presentation wasn't exactly exciting, but I don't see why people are complaining so much, they showed off the car we all expected to see. The original 3 reveal was a true reveal. This was just confirming all the rumors and putting into metal what Elon and others had already said about it.

My only real complaint was them announcing it so early. If they are a year out, they should have maybe waited until summer or fall to do the reveal. The only reason I see them announcing (and taking orders) so early is because I think they might really need the cash. I hope this isn't the case, but I'm sensing a bit of a cash crunch for them at the moment.