Hmm, they did not do it with the X, why do you think they will with the three?
I think it is more necessary with the Model ☰ than with any vehicle Tesla Motors has released thus far. Not so much to get new business, or even to confirm current Reservations, so much as it is to prove they are a
'REAL Car Company'. It would be a great way to shut up the incessant Tesla Naysayers who have claimed since, like,
FOREVER that Tesla would
NEVER release a mass market car. Plus, there are people who really don't
'see' things on a computer monitor very well
(I used to work with someone who had to print out all their e-mail messages to read them), they literally have to see things in three dimensions directly before them to get a sense of scale and reality.
It wouldn't take much to manage. There are currently about 99 Tesla Stores/Galleries in the U.S. If Tesla manages to prevail in their court case against Michigan's Regulators and Elected Officials, they may be able to double that quantity through this time next year. So, they could send two cars to each location, a total of maybe 400 vehicles as demo cars by the end of 2017. Since their goal is to reach as many as 500,000 units per year, at 50 weeks per year, 400 cars comes to only 1/25th of a week's Production. And, those demo cars could be replaced periodically as they were sold at Retail. One car to sit in the showroom, one to use for test drives in the Real World. When the test drive car is sold, the showroom car is put into test drive service, and a new showroom car is Delivered. Tesla loses nothing.
Those who received their Xs from launch to at least March, did not get to physically see the car. If you were able to test drive one during at least that period, you were one of the few. So, my comment is that for the first 6 or 7 months folks will be ordering without a hands on experience. I agree that it would be better to see and test drive prior to dropping your order. That "better" may be the price of getting your 3 delivered in the first year of production.
That was unfortunately one of the mistakes that Tesla has had to learn from. Luckily, those who purchased Model S and Model X have been very forgiving of such mistakes. Tesla cannot afford to have no examples of the Model ☰ on hand for people to compare to other vehicles from the very outset.
The National Automobile Dealers Association
(NADA) has fought tooth and nail to prevent Tesla from having a physical presence where the public can see and test their cars. Specifically because they know full well that traditional automobile manufacturers have NOTHING to combat the driving experience. The
'independent franchised dealerships' have seen their high end sales erode as Tesla's have climbed continually over four calendar years now.
Once the right to display and sell their cars is available everywhere, Tesla must press their advantage to the fullest. Already, the Tesla Model S, with an ASP over $90,000 outsells the Cadillac ATS, which has a base price below $40,000. That's with barely 100 Tesla locations, allowed in only 26 States, while Cadillac has over 900 franchise locations in the U.S. When the Tesla Model ☰ arrives, with a base price of $35,000 then Cadillac ATS is going to be absolutely blown away. I mention this because the ATS is Cadillac's best selling passenger car, and this is the second consecutive calendar year wherein it is being outsold by the Model S.
In fact, I checked and the Tesla Model S outsells every single passenger car that Cadillac offers. They'd might as well become an SUV company like Porsche
(except that the Cayenne is being outsold by the Model X). I think this is just one example of how the
'franchise dealership system' has been entirely outmaneuvered by Tesla's direct sales method. It is a firm indictment of
'independent franchised dealerships' who have claimed that somehow Tesla would
'sell more cars' using them. Elon has been correct all along, franchises are a hindrance to mass market sales of electric vehicles.
GM Passenger Cars Outsold by Tesla Model S*
__ QTY ___ VEHICLE
____6524 _ Buick Cascada
___18524 _ Buick Regal
___19213 _ Cadillac ATS
____7876 _ Cadillac CT6
___14214 _ Cadillac CTS
_____531 _ Cadillac ELR
___19042 _ Cadillac XTS
_____897 _ Chevrolet Caprice PPV
____2919 _ Chevrolet SS
___21048 _ Chevrolet VOLT
___ *YTD through November 2016
