For existing Tesla owners does standing in line push you further towards the top.

[Darryl]

For those are currently Tesla owners and therefore who will already get a boost up in line by being an owner does anyone think standing in line would make a difference. I plan on purchasing a Model 3 for my wife. She is already getting spoiled with the P90DL. For example, we had to take the car back to the SC for a few days and they gave us a Model S P85, it didn't have autopilot. She kept yelling at the car because it was DUMB.

Therefore I know we will probably be ordering a car which is in the mid to upper range of cost. I want to make sure we get the car with the first six months that it comes and of course if the rebate still exists by then be able to take advantage of it

 

[gordo]

There's precious little published regarding the actual way that Tesla will interleave reservations among owners, so YMMV. Having said that, I would have to think that when prioritizing owners among themselves, it makes sense that those ordering at the store early in the day would be placed in front of those who do it online later in the day.

 

[Gen3Joe]

First post long time reader and Tesla fanatic!

I've been a huge Tesla fan since 2006 so I've basically been waiting for this day to come for 10 years. As soon as the March 31 date was announced I put in for 2 vacation days from work and planned to camp out in front of the Walnut Creek store the night before.

As are other posters I am bummed out that Tesla has decided to place existing owners ahead of everyone else. I understand it from a business perspective but it doesn't make it any less disappointing. I've been saving almost all disposable income since 2013 and will continue to do so until order confirmation in order to be able to afford the PXX version of the Model 3 and get it as early as possible. I was hoping for an early 2018 time frame. Depending on the details of the order priority it's possible that there could be over 100,000 existing owners ahead of the rest of us. That would likely push us into mid 2019.

All that being said I'm still going to camp out in front of the store to get in as early as possible. Yes I am hopelessly Tesla obsessed. Hope to see some of you there!

 

[SMSMD]

First post long time reader and Tesla fanatic!!

Welome to TMC...GOOD LUCK,, TESLA 15,000/ employees are already invited to reservations.[

 

[Vince Cobelo]

First post long time reader and Tesla fanatic!

I've been a huge Tesla fan since 2006 so I've basically been waiting for this day to come for 10 years. As soon as the March 31 date was announced I put in for 2 vacation days from work and planned to camp out in front of the Walnut Creek store the night before.

As are other posters I am bummed out that Tesla has decided to place existing owners ahead of everyone else. I understand it from a business perspective but it doesn't make it any less disappointing. I've been saving almost all disposable income since 2013 and will continue to do so until order confirmation in order to be able to afford the PXX version of the Model 3 and get it as early as possible. I was hoping for an early 2018 time frame. Depending on the details of the order priority it's possible that there could be over 100,000 existing owners ahead of the rest of us. That would likely push us into mid 2019.

All that being said I'm still going to camp out in front of the store to get in as early as possible. Yes I am hopelessly Tesla obsessed. Hope to see some of you there!

You probably won't make it into the sub 200,000 car sold so will not get the rebate anyway. I bet you could make a deal with a current owner that doesn't really want to get a Model 3 where he gets to keep the $7,500 tax rebate but you get the car way earlier. I'd be glad to do that. Put your deposit down AND make the deal with the current owner. That way if the deal falls through you have not lost place and nothing lost money wise.

So find a local current owner that isn't wanting a Model 3 and work something out.

 

[Bimbels]

You probably won't make it into the sub 200,000 car sold so will not get the rebate anyway. I bet you could make a deal with a current owner that doesn't really want to get a Model 3 where he gets to keep the $7,500 tax rebate but you get the car way earlier. I'd be glad to do that. Put your deposit down AND make the deal with the current owner. That way if the deal falls through you have not lost place and nothing lost money wise.

So find a local current owner that isn't wanting a Model 3 and work something out.

Reservations are not transferable. So working it out with an owner would not really work unless they bought you the car.

 

[Vince Cobelo]

Reservations are not transferable. So working it out with an owner would not really work unless they bought you the car.

Yea...I get that. It would have to be done carefully with a family member or friend. Or using a contract which is too much like work.

 

[Darryl]

First post long time reader and Tesla fanatic!

I've been a huge Tesla fan since 2006 so I've basically been waiting for this day to come for 10 years. As soon as the March 31 date was announced I put in for 2 vacation days from work and planned to camp out in front of the Walnut Creek store the night before.

As are other posters I am bummed out that Tesla has decided to place existing owners ahead of everyone else. I understand it from a business perspective but it doesn't make it any less disappointing. I've been saving almost all disposable income since 2013 and will continue to do so until order confirmation in order to be able to afford the PXX version of the Model 3 and get it as early as possible. I was hoping for an early 2018 time frame. Depending on the details of the order priority it's possible that there could be over 100,000 existing owners ahead of the rest of us. That would likely push us into mid 2019.

All that being said I'm still going to camp out in front of the store to get in as early as possible. Yes I am hopelessly Tesla obsessed. Hope to see some of you there!

If it works like it has in the past the most important thing which determines your place in line is what you order! It delivers the most optioned cars first. When you order. So just because a person is an employee or current Tesla owner doesn't mean they get their car first. They will only get their car before you if they order a car as least as optioned as to what you are ordering.

Since we don't know what the packages and options will be it is hard to say for suhre but as a probable guess you would need to order:

1. The performance edition with dual motors (i.e. P1XXD)
2. The largest battery possible, the base model will probably be less than 65, but they will probably have options up to double that number.
3. The Premium Option Group
4. The Autopilot Option Group

Things like color, location of delivery, wheel choice, and radio options didn't have an effect on Model X orders.

I would say a car in the $75k to $85k range. I disagree that you won't make it into the pre-200,000 group. If you load it up you go close to the top.

 

[Gen3Joe]

Welome to TMC...GOOD LUCK,, TESLA 15,000/ employees are already invited to reservations.[

Thanks good to be here. I'm glad Tesla is opening up the reservations to employees first. I hope they get first deliveries regardless of options chosen.

 

[Gen3Joe]

If it works like it has in the past the most important thing which determines your place in line is what you order! It delivers the most optioned cars first. When you order. So just because a person is an employee or current Tesla owner doesn't mean they get their car first. They will only get their car before you if they order a car as least as optioned as to what you are ordering.

Since we don't know what the packages and options will be it is hard to say for sure but as a probable guess you would need to order:

1. The performance edition with dual motors (i.e. P1XXD)
2. The largest battery possible, the base model will probably be less than 65, but they will probably have options up to double that number.
3. The Premium Option Group
4. The Autopilot Option Group

Things like color, location of delivery, wheel choice, and radio options didn't have an effect on Model X orders.

I would say a car in the $75k to $85k range.

$65k is the most I am willing to spend.

I'm hoping that will get me PXXD with autopilot. I don't care about anything else. I especially don't want leather so hopefully that doesn't bump me down the list too far.

 

[Twiglett]

If it works like it has in the past the most important thing which determines your place in line is what you order! It delivers the most optioned cars first. When you order. So just because a person is an employee or current Tesla owner doesn't mean they get their car first. They will only get their car before you if they order a car as least as optioned as to what you are ordering.

Since we don't know what the packages and options will be it is hard to say for suhre but as a probable guess you would need to order:

1. The performance edition with dual motors (i.e. P1XXD)
2. The largest battery possible, the base model will probably be less than 65, but they will probably have options up to double that number.
3. The Premium Option Group
4. The Autopilot Option Group

Things like color, location of delivery, wheel choice, and radio options didn't have an effect on Model X orders.

I would say a car in the $75k to $85k range. I disagree that you won't make it into the pre-200,000 group. If you load it up you go close to the top.

Exactly this....
All your reservation does is indicate when you get to order, not when your car gets delivered.
So if you have an early reservation, but order a stripper base model, then your delivery date will be way out yonder
However, order a high spec config once you get the opportunity and it will likely get delivered faster.
Either way can't be relied on, so if you're banking on the tax credit I would start camping out and saving fast.

 

[hockeythug]

Well, since in-store reservations begin like 10 hours before online ones begin I would say if you want to have a earlier number do it in store. While waiting for the online ones would still put you ahead of non-owners, you would be behind more current owners. But as others have said, being higher on the list doesn't necessarily correlate to order and delivery dates.

 

[Sudre]

I agree with others that we really don't know for sure how Tesla is going to work this. I told my Tesla friends who will be new customers that it may be true that fully loaded cars will be at the front of the line but also cautioned that most signatures in the S and X series did get out before the general production started. If they treat the employee cars as test batches (which I think they will do) then at a minimum everyone will be behind employees. With my early reservation Model S I ordered a base 60kWh with air-suspension. My VIN is under 4000 yet there were still many orders for loaded ones behind me that didn't jump ahead.

So here's my thoughts that make me wonder how they will work this.
How long will existing customers get preferred treatment? forever? only on the 31st? Only for the week? For one car? for several cars? for any trim level?
Those are important questions.

If it's forever then I can see the potential that new customers will never see a Model 3 in their driveway. Model 3s are rather cheap for people buying 90k+ cars. They can get one for the kids and a spare to keep for mom. In a year after the son totals the first one racing someone they will order another one. Since existing customers can potentially (world wide) be ordering 150-200K cars then I can see that going on forever. I will order one for my wife on the 31st. I will order one to replace my Model S after my wife gets hers. Will I still get put in front of the line in 2018? No that's ridiculous. How about employees?

I think the employees have until the 31st to get in line first.
I think current owners have until the end of the 31st (one day) to get in line second.
On April 1st everyone starts getting in the same line.
If a new customer orders on the 31st in stores they will be in line first on the first.... if that makes sense.

Of coarse that's a lot of thinking and now my brain hurts.

 

[Tam]

...camp out in front of the Walnut Creek store the night before...

Is it inside a Shopping Mall or you can access it from the curb?

It might be wise to call up to see what's their camping out policy is. Also, will there be a portable toilet?

Please call up your local press to see whether they can cover the line-up event.

Good luck and please post your progress.

 

[Tam]

...standing in line would make a difference...

It depends on what the internal rule is.

1) "Darryl, Sequence Number: 1:"

If it's still using sequence number then I would say yes.

For a simple example below, you'll be the first one in the US and got a sequence number 1.

At the end of the day, the sequence number would go up to be 10,000.

By 12/2017, let's say there will be 50,000 reservations.

When it comes time to send a first batch of configuration invitation, say 1-1,000, you would then immediately seal the deal and confirm your order.

You are in as you are still ahead of the other 49,000 who haven't gotten the invitation yet.

The factory needs to make sure this batch is reasonably successful before ramp up say 1,001 to 5,000...


2) "Darryl, Reservation Date: 3/31/2016."

However, Tesla discontinued sequence number since the Model X and is using "date of reservation" instead.

In that case, you'll be competing a much larger pool as a first batch of invitation for configuration might go to those who secured a designation of "Reservation Date: 3/31/2016."

On that date, we had a simplistic example of 10,000. So even if you are the first in line worldwide in the store and now you are the first to quickly confirm your order, you have to compete with other 9,999.

If the majority of them configured the most options and you didn't check off all the options and Tesla need to send the first 1,000 orders out 10,000 to the assembly line, yours won't be in it!

Once, the factory confirms that all 10,000 in this production run is reasonable successful, they may send configuration invitation for the next designation "Reservation Date: 4/1/2016 through 4/2/2016..."

I am not saying that is what is happening but that is roughly what I can reasonably assume.

 

[Model 3]

How long will existing customers get preferred treatment? forever? only on the 31st? Only for the week? For one car? for several cars? for any trim level?
Those are important questions.

My guess:
The preferred treatment is for one reservation made within one or two month. And all it does is to determine when you can order the car. After ordering everyone (except employees) is in the same line based on trim level and ordering date (the time you confirm your order). And no, base level orders will not be pushed back "forever" as new orders arrive with more options.

 

[cgiGuy]

Since we don't know what the packages and options will be it is hard to say for suhre but as a probable guess you would need to order:

1. The performance edition with dual motors (i.e. P1XXD)
2. The largest battery possible, the base model will probably be less than 65, but they will probably have options up to double that number.
3. The Premium Option Group
4. The Autopilot Option Group

Things like color, location of delivery, wheel choice, and radio options didn't have an effect on Model X orders.

I would say a car in the $75k to $85k range. I disagree that you won't make it into the pre-200,000 group. If you load it up you go close to the top.

Orrrrrr... order a RWD 70 today and be a year and a half earlier than anyone else getting a M3!

$40K-50K in options on a $35K car? Would someone actually do this? I can't imagine Tesla will not have a clear line between the M3 and the S/X.

 

[Krugerrand]

$40K-50K in options on a $35K car? Would someone actually do this? I can't imagine Tesla will not have a clear line between the M3 and the S/X.

That is what I initially thought as well, but in another thread there are several people who think you'll easily be able to option out a ≡ to over 70k and they may be right. Since the ≡ is still aiming at a higher end ICE segment than an Accord/Camry/fillintheblank that heads up to that price level, people are expecting they can load up the ≡ and get it to a fairly hefty tag.

 

[DarrinR]

Will owners of multiple Teslas go ahead of single Tesla owners?

 

[Tam]

Will owners of multiple Teslas go ahead of single Tesla owners?

That's one of the interesting criteria.

Tesla only specified owners vs. non-owners.

However, if you are Tesla and when there are two exact orders from 2 owners, you might want to apply some rationales such as what you suggested above for picking one over the other.