Elon Tweet: No 'significantly new consumer-facing technology' in Model 3

[Garlan Garner]

My guess concerning HUD is what I've always guessed.

HUD is too expensive an implementation for a 35K EV. The benefit for Tesla isn't worth the reward for the company....and lastly HUD is an OLD technology that is going to soon be replaced.
I am elated that I won't have to purchase HUD hardware or software in my M3 - because I wouldn't have used it anyway.

 

[WileyTheMan]

I'm with Garlan on this one. I really don't care about a HUD. It's a cheap(er) car and we shouldn't be expecting the world. At least, not initially.

I *do* hope, however, that we get a basic gauge cluster in front, whether it's mechanical or a mobile phone thing as one poster suggested. If you're not going to add "bells and whistles", at least give us the basics of what we expect of a car. That said, its not a deal-breaker for me. I'm not such an old dog that I can't learn new tricks.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Lastly...concerning Elons tweets.

His latest tweets have alarmed me in more than one way.

1st of all.....
I don't understand Elon un-selling the M3. I'm saying this with TESLA in mind (not "me" the consumer). It was Elon that hyped the M3 in the first place at the reveal exactlly a year ago. It was Elon that stated that the future AutoPilot and the like was simply unbelievable. Tesla's autopilot is still no match for its mobile-eye version yet. It was Elon that fed the hype. The public responded and believed him as we have seen with the number of reservations. What happened inside Tesla that has caused Elon to flip?

2ndly......
Elon is eluding to buying a MS instead of a M3 for reservationists. He seems to be eluding to the fact that all a person has to do is "decide" to purchase an MS instead of an M3. I wish I could let Elon know that the PRIMARY reason there are so many M3 reservations is the price. Elon, I'm fully aware that billionaires only have to make daily decisions based on their desires, but not "regular" people. Elon, let me put it this way....if you dropped the price of the MS down to $35k....90% of the M3 reservationists would do just as you desire and buy an MS. I know i would. Its not just a mental decision to purchase an MS over a M3. I was wondering how long it would take for those billionaire folks in Tesla to forget about being "regular". My 2 reservationist friends certainly can't afford the MS...so instead of switching models...they are thinking about switching companies for a 2 year lease on another 35K EV. Oh well.

3rdly......
I'm really interested in what investors took from the tweet storm. Teslas quarterly call touted the M3 and its ramp up. NOW Elon is asking folks to strongly consider NOT buying the M3? How does that look to hardcore investors? Is there something wrong within Tesla? Will Tesla not be able to pull off the M3 the same way they touted on the call? Is the profit margin just too small?

4thly.....
Why won't all buttons checked an option on this car? Is it financial (within Tesla)? the MX started off "all buttons checked". The MS started off "all buttons checked". ( AWD wasn't an option at the time the MS was launched). Whats the deal with the M3? Does Tesla not have enough money to produce dual motors in the M3?

5thly.....
I guess it no longer matters that I stood out in the rain to get my AWD M3 as early as I could. I have yet another year to wait.

My year old smile is slowly turning into a grin of curiosity. hmmm...

 

[zenmaster]

If it doesn't affect total sales, it doesn't matter what is said or done. All Tesla needs to do is be price-point competitive with other EV manufacturers and provide style/feature overlap to some degree with the "premium sedan" market. As shoppers base purchase decisions on feature comparisons, that's what will sell the car and what matters in the end. I think Tesla will have accomplished this goal for the 3 while others play catch up. Not much pressure at all yet.

 

[montreid]

M3 goals are completely different than MS and MX. M3 is for the 'masses' (if one thinks 35K for a car is for the masses) and shouldn't get all the bells and whistles ahead of MS or MX--like HUD.

Elon isn't unselling the M3. They have 400k reservations and plenty until 2019 IF they meet their own aggressive production numbers. It's about getting those numbers up and out and supply/production line. Less options = faster build and through put. Putting in another motor probably a lot harder than seat upgrades and stereo upgrades.

I'm actually happy as will many 35k base buyers to get ahead in the line because the performance junkies want their 75D ludicrous configurations. Give me my InStore Day 1 West coast - M3 60 with AP before the fall, and I will be a very happy camper

 

[Garlan Garner]

If it doesn't affect total sales, it doesn't matter what is said or done. All Tesla needs to do is be price-point competitive with other EV manufacturers and provide style/feature overlap to some degree with the "premium sedan" market. As shoppers base purchase decisions on feature comparisons, that's what will sell the car and what matters in the end. I think Tesla will have accomplished this goal for the 3 while others play catch up. Not much pressure at all yet.

Problem though @zenmaster.

The gap between the competition isn't widening. Its narrowing.

$35K vs. $35k
RWD vs. RWD
Instrument cluster vs. no instrument cluster
etc.....

 

[Garlan Garner]

M3 goals are completely different than MS and MX. M3 is for the 'masses' (if one thinks 35K for a car is for the masses) and shouldn't get all the bells and whistles ahead of MS or MX--like HUD.

Elon isn't unselling the M3. They have 400k reservations and plenty until 2019 IF they meet their own aggressive production numbers. It's about getting those numbers up and out and supply/production line. Less options = faster build and through put. Putting in another motor probably a lot harder than seat upgrades and stereo upgrades.

I'm actually happy as will many 35k base buyers to get ahead in the line because the performance junkies want their 75D ludicrous configurations. Give me my InStore Day 1 West coast - M3 60 with AP before the fall, and I will be a very happy camper

Elon talking up the MS and downplaying the M3 to M3 reservationists. He's telling everyone all of the great things that the MS has that the M3 won't. That sounds like un-selling the M3 to me. At the same time that TESLA is removing the cheapest MS. Really?

Message to Elon - I would have bought the MS in the first place if I was able to afford it.

 

[tomas]

Boy is there a lot of unsubstantiated freaking out here! We always knew 3 would be a smaller, simplified, 35k car. We've seen a reveal where the exterior was probably 90%, and the rest work in progress. Ok to sound off of course, but it should come as little surprise that first batch of cars would have limited options. That was true of early S as well.

Musk was simply stating something we should have expected: features will be introduced on S and X before they appear on 3. And S and X will always have feature/performance superiority commensurate with pricing.

Looking forward to next reveal before I contemplate changes re my 2 reservations.

 

[Wolverinegeoff]

Elon talking up the MS and downplaying the M3 to M3 reservationists. That sounds like un-selling the M3 to me. At the same time that TESLA is removing the cheapest MS. Really?

Message to Elon - I would have bought the MS in the first place if I was able to afford it.

I don't think that part was aimed at people who can afford $35-45k cars. It seemed like he was trying to set the expectation lower for people planning on decking out the model 3 with performance and other options and expecting it to be better than an S. Just seems to be saying if that's your plan, you may be better off with an S. Model 3 still sounds amazing for those of us looking at the lower end of the range!

 

[Garlan Garner]

I disagree. The MS didn't have options that it has now. HOWEVER you could indeed check all boxes of the MS when it came out because things like Dual Motors didn't exist when the MS came out.

Elon is saying that Dual Motors "will" exist however that box can't be checked.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I don't think that part was aimed at people who can afford $35-45k cars. It seemed like he was trying to set the expectation lower for people planning on decking out the model 3 with performance and other options and expecting it to be better than an S. Just seems to be saying if that's your plan, you may be better off with an S. Model 3 still sounds amazing for those of us looking at the lower end of the range!

What part of the M3 sounds amazing? He keeps talking about what the M3 won't have. I suppose its EV...that's one good thing. 300+ miles of charging....and what else do we know for sure? The glass roof? That's a good thing I suppose.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

What part of the M3 sounds amazing?

The exhaust?

Stop misusing the name M3.

 

[N5329K]

Lastly...concerning Elons tweets.

His latest tweets have alarmed me in more than one way.

1st of all.....
I don't understand Elon un-selling the M3. I'm saying this with TESLA in mind (not "me" the consumer). It was Elon that hyped the M3 in the first place at the reveal exactlly a year ago. It was Elon that stated that the future AutoPilot and the like was simply unbelievable. Tesla's autopilot is still no match for its mobile-eye version yet. It was Elon that fed the hype. The public responded and believed him as we have seen with the number of reservations. What happened inside Tesla that has caused Elon to flip?

2ndly......
Elon is eluding to buying a MS instead of a M3 for reservationists. He seems to be eluding to the fact that all a person has to do is "decide" to purchase an MS instead of an M3. I wish I could let Elon know that the PRIMARY reason there are so many M3 reservations is the price. Elon, I'm fully aware that billionaires only have to make daily decisions based on their desires, but not "regular" people. Elon, let me put it this way....if you dropped the price of the MS down to $35k....90% of the M3 reservationists would do just as you desire and buy an MS. I know i would. Its not just a mental decision to purchase an MS over a M3. I was wondering how long it would take for those billionaire folks in Tesla to forget about being "regular". My 2 reservationist friends certainly can't afford the MS...so instead of switching models...they are thinking about switching companies for a 2 year lease on another 35K EV. Oh well.

3rdly......
I'm really interested in what investors took from the tweet storm. Teslas quarterly call touted the M3 and its ramp up. NOW Elon is asking folks to strongly consider NOT buying the M3? How does that look to hardcore investors? Is there something wrong within Tesla? Will Tesla not be able to pull off the M3 the same way they touted on the call? Is the profit margin just too small?

4thly.....
Why won't all buttons checked an option on this car? Is it financial (within Tesla)? the MX started off "all buttons checked". The MS started off "all buttons checked". ( AWD wasn't an option at the time the MS was launched). Whats the deal with the M3? Does Tesla not have enough money to produce dual motors in the M3?

5thly.....
I guess it no longer matters that I stood out in the rain to get my AWD M3 as early as I could. I have yet another year to wait.

My year old smile is slowly turning into a grin of curiosity. hmmm...

Just a guess, but I would not be surprised if Tesla "discovered" that the added complexity of a bunch of differently-optioned cars was a bit much for the Alien Dreadnought to swallow. They know their deadlines are mocked, and they know the Model 3 is a bet on the future of the company. They know that checking all the boxes on the Model X (and then checking the boxes on features nobody knew they even wanted) caused headaches.
They don't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch. Investors don't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch. Even Elon Musk doesn't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch.
The result, I think, was plain first, fancy later, and if you don't like it there's a Model S calling your name.
My .02, anyway.
Robin

 

[Garlan Garner]

The exhaust?

Stop misusing the name M3.

What?

 

[182RG]

What?

M3 = BMW

Model 3 = Tesla

 

[Garlan Garner]

Just a guess, but I would not be surprised if Tesla "discovered" that the added complexity of a bunch of differently-optioned cars was a bit much for the Alien Dreadnought to swallow. They know their deadlines are mocked, and they know the Model 3 is a bet on the future of the company. They know that checking all the boxes on the Model X (and then checking the boxes on features nobody knew they even wanted) caused headaches.
They don't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch. Investors don't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch. Even Elon Musk doesn't want any self-induced headaches with the Model 3 launch.
The result, I think, was plain first, fancy later, and if you don't like it there's a Model S calling your name.
My .02, anyway.
Robin

I really wish a Model S would call my wallet. My wallet really only speaks $35K language. I couldn't even dream of owning a Base Model $75K car of any vendor.

Buying an MS vs M3 concerning price is huge for me. I'm just being honest.

 

[Garlan Garner]

M3 = BMW

Model 3 = Tesla

Ok thanks. I'll remember that in the "tesla" forum.

I thought folks would be able to make that connection on their own in a tesla forum.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I don't think that part was aimed at people who can afford $35-45k cars. It seemed like he was trying to set the expectation lower for people planning on decking out the model 3 with performance and other options and expecting it to be better than an S. Just seems to be saying if that's your plan, you may be better off with an S. Model 3 still sounds amazing for those of us looking at the lower end of the range!

He is also talking up Q2 sales.

Discontinuing 60D at precisely the time when last orders must be confirmed to guarantee Q2 delivery to most of their markets... that is pushing those last lower-end buyers to Model S before Model 3 starts shipping... Some on the edge may be tempted...

 

[Sonny Daze]

Ok to sound off of course, but it should come as little surprise that first batch of cars would have limited options. That was true of early S as well.

I don't remember them telling initial S buyers that AWD is coming but you can't have it yet, Autopilot is coming but you can't have it yet. They did say there would be no signature 3 models, but that highly optioned models would be shipped first.

 

[boaterva]

As some have said, they may have been expecting a mini-S or similar. But for a lot of people, the price isn't all of the problem, it's the size. So this is the only Tesla that will work and why the original announcement was met with such approval (price and/or size, for so many).

The S and X are too large for some people and some applications. I'm going to be doing an overnight X demo, and will be seeing how much garage space I have left (measuring tells me it's minimal; you need to be able to walk around the car; summon or no summon). I guess my perfect vehicle would be a Y, but that's now who knows how many years out total (five? adding in all the delays that add up in a rollout from 'doesn't exist' to the east coast, etc.). In any case, for those that are looking for a BMW 3-series replacement, we have reasons besides price and 'go get a Model S, it will work just fine'.

All of this is somewhat strange, since I know I heard for the last year that 'highly optioned cars would be the first produced' (for maximum capital, since options have high margin) and 'the Model 3 would be same/similar/like/whatever a BMW 3' as I mentioned before (at least at some option levels). Well, if we can't get it for a year or whatever added on to the already obvious delays because of location, etc., because no dual motors, that's another issue. They are starting to add up.

I wonder how many of the 400K (whatever) rezs he/they are trying to make evaporate... If they are not 'trying', WTF is going on?