Model 3 official test drives coming this year.

[phigment]

If they are building cars at a rapid pace in November/December it might be better to hold some back. They do not want to hit 200,000 sales at the end of a quarter. If they have cars sitting around they might as well get people back into the store and give them a chance to tryout their future purchase.

Or they can just deliver the excess to Canada.

 

[ecarfan]

Where did you see this notification? In an email Tesla sent to you?

View attachment 231442 Tesla is now pushing out notifications on upcoming test drives late this year on the Model 3! Honestly didn't think that would be an option any time soon.

 

[ecarfan]

More anti-sell hard at work. As well I can't see it on either the US or CDN Model 3 page.

I don't see that Model 3 test drive message as "anti-sell". Tesla is providing information to a Model 3 reservation holder: when they will likely be able to get a test drive. That's good information to know.

Of course in the same message Tesla is going to remind the reader that the S and X can be test driven right now. That's called "marketing 101". Sell what you have right now.

 

[BluestarE3]

View attachment 231442 Tesla is now pushing out notifications on upcoming test drives late this year on the Model 3! Honestly didn't think that would be an option any time soon.

Are you a current Model S/X owner? (Just wondering if notifications are going out to current owners first)

 

[SageBrush]

I don't see that Model 3 test drive message as "anti-sell".

Care to speculate why Tesla gives out this information before the reservation holder can order a car or see a delivery estimate date ?

The best I can come with is ... peculiar.

 

[patrick40363]

More anti-sell hard at work. As well I can't see it on either the US or CDN Model 3 page.

It is called up-selling.

 

[ecarfan]

Care to speculate why Tesla gives out this information before the reservation holder can order a car or see a delivery estimate date ?

Sure> Because the reservation holder has been waiting for well over a year since making their $1,000 deposit and they would like to know when they will actually be able to sit in and drive a Model 3 so they can decide if they want to go ahead and purchase it or consider alternatives. With that message, Tesla is saying that within 6 months the reservation holder will be able to have a Model 3 test drive. That's useful information, and a heck of a lot more than the reservation holder knew before they received the message.

 

[SageBrush]

Sure> Because the reservation holder has been waiting for well over a year since making their $1,000 deposit and they would like to know when they will actually be able to sit in and drive a Model 3 so they can decide if they want to go ahead and purchase it or consider alternatives. With that message, Tesla is saying that within 6 months the reservation holder will be able to have a Model 3 test drive. That's useful information, and a heck of a lot more than the reservation holder knew before they received the message.

Perhaps. But since the reservation hold still has no idea when they can order the car or estimate delivery, I suppose all it says is that people who demand a test drive will have to wait until late in 2017. That still makes little sense to me unless a person is contemplating placing an order.

More than no sense at all -- just not much ;-)

 

[SoCalGuy]

I received no email about this and am in the early pool of reservations (<150,000).

 

[insaneoctane]

I received no email about this and am in the early pool of reservations (<150,000).

Ditto

 

[BluestarE3]

Perhaps. But since the reservation hold still has no idea when they can order the car or estimate delivery, I suppose all it says is that people who demand a test drive will have to wait until late in 2017. That still makes little sense to me unless a person is contemplating placing an order.

More than no sense at all -- just not much ;-)

As mentioned above, a certain number of reservation holders will be willing to order their cars sight unseen (especially current S/X owners who are already familiar with Tesla cars). Additionally, Tesla employees with reservations, for a large part, will have up close and personal access to the Model 3 before anyone else does, so they can experience the car before placing their orders (e.g., Tesla and SpaceX can hold early private test drives on-site). Fulfilling the thousands of employee orders and those of customers who don't need to "kick the tires" will take up the production run for the first couple of months at least. So, just because "civilian" test drives won't start until late this year doesn't mean volume production won't start until then too. By the time these orders are filled, it'll be late in the year and, just in time, test cars will become available for the remaining reservation holders.

 

[WileyTheMan]

I received no email about this and am in the early pool of reservations (<150,000).

I navigated to Tesla's website and went to the Model 3 section. After a while the message popped up. I was logged into my account at the time, but I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

 

[Big-T]

How would you rate your leasing experience with Tesla? I see a lot of naysayers on this site who are quite down on Tesla leasing, but that's because they're likely comparing it to ICE leasing which has largely been a dishonest ploy by manufacturers to begin with.

Can you elaborate on that?

 

[Keith909man]

Are you a current Model S/X owner? (Just wondering if notifications are going out to current owners first)

Nope. I just logged into my account and went to the Model 3 page when it came up

 

[WileyTheMan]

By the way, be careful with the test drive section of that website. I was fooling around with it but never submitted a request, but sure enough, 10 minutes later I got a call from Tesla to see if I wanted to test drive a car. They were very good about not trying to upsell me when i declined, and offered to reach out to me later this year when Model 3 test drives are available.

 

[mmd]

More anti-sell hard at work. As well I can't see it on either the US or CDN Model 3 page.

Gotta meet the Q2 numbers
How is Tesla planning to deliver 100k-200k Model 3 this year with the test drives coming so late? May be some hard core fans will buy one up without test driving.
Tesla May Build 200,000 Model 3 Cars By End Of 2017 - Gas 2

Musk said Model 3 production is now scheduled to begin July 1, 2017. He is smart enough to know that just because production is scheduled to begin on that date, that doesn’t mean the factory is going to suddenly go straight into working at maximum speed. There will be issues to be resolved and unexpected quality glitches to deal with. But the Model 3 is designed for ease of manufacture. “[W]e’re not adding extraneous features to the 3 that aren’t necessary to achieve the production volume,” Musk said.

“Will we actually be able to achieve volume production on July 1 next year? Of course, not. The reason is that even if 99% of the internally produced items and supplier items are available on July 1, we still cannot produce the car because you cannot produce a car that is missing 1% of its components. So the reality is that the volume production will then be some number of months later as we solve the supply chain and internal production issues. So as a rough guess, I would say we would aim to produce 100,000 to 200,000 Model 3s in the second half of next year. That’s my expectation right now. Yeah, so that’s the thing.”

"Model S and Model X test drives available now" is really informative. Who would have thunk?

 

[dhanson865]

July: NADA, except some hand built RCs as they have now. Tesla may claim that they're off of the line, but that's a bit fuzzy. These cars will be a mix of hand & machine assembled, using some production components and sub-assemblies and some prototype parts.
August: Same as July, but a higher proportion of assy and parts from production processes.
September: 100 - the first cars completed almost entirely on the actual production line, with all going to key employees
Month of October: 500 - employees
Month of November: 1000 - employees
Month of December: 2000 - employees and California
Month of January: 5000 - California
Month of February: 10000 - Start of general release
By June 2018, you'll see production of about 5,000 per week.

I like your thought process on a ramp schedule but I think it'll be tighter/quicker than that.

July: NADA, except some hand built RCs as they have now. Tesla may claim that they're off of the line, but that's a bit fuzzy. These cars will be a mix of hand & machine assembled, using some production components and sub-assemblies and some prototype parts.

early August: 300 - the first cars completed almost entirely on the actual production line, with all going to employees
late August: 700 - employees
Month of September: 2500 - employees
Month of October: 5000 - employees and California
Month of November: 7000 - California
Month of December: 9000 - Start of general release just before new years to be able to say they got some outside of CA in 2017.
Mar 2018, they open up the extra battery pack option
April 2018 they open up the dual motor option
By May 2018, you'll see production of about 5,000 per week.

 

[McRat]

By the way, be careful with the test drive section of that website. I was fooling around with it but never submitted a request, but sure enough, 10 minutes later I got a call from Tesla to see if I wanted to test drive a car. They were very good about not trying to upsell me when i declined, and offered to reach out to me later this year when Model 3 test drives are available.

Yeah, same thing here. Luckily I have a secretary to block sales calls.

I was trying to see if that Model 3 test page is on their site. If it is, it's really well hidden.

 

[a.void]

Selling a significant number of Model 3's at less than cost will probably 'break' Tesla Motors. It is likely that when Model 3 production ramps up, MS/X sales will decline, which could create a double whammy of losses at time when money is rushing out the door for factories, AV, inventory parts, tooling, Superchargers, etc. Ramping up is something that needs to happen when profitability is guaranteed for the M3 program.

New reservation holder add forum troll.

I don't understand the logic I keep reading like this. Why is the model 3 going to cannibalize model s/x sales?
I would expect it to grow those sales if anything. Increase the brand visibility increases consumer demand/ interest plus people option out a Model 3 and then realize an S is more desirable and within reach.

I expect this is part of the marketing strategy and another reason why the Model 3 is important.
How do you think Lexus took off? Toyota buyers made the leap to the luxury line.

 

[JeffK]

New reservation holder add forum troll.

I don't understand the logic I keep reading like this. Why is the model 3 going to cannibalize model s/x sales?
I would expect it to grow those sales if anything. Increase the brand visibility increases consumer demand/ interest plus people option out a Model 3 and then realize an S is more desirable and within reach.

I expect this is part of the marketing strategy and another reason why the Model 3 is important.
How do you think Lexus took off? Toyota buyers made the leap to the luxury line.

This is more of a short term concern... The expectation of the Model 3 for a lower cost vehicle offering similar features might get those who can afford a Model S to get a Model 3 instead to save a few bucks. Since the final reveal hasn't happened people are waiting and thus Model S sales are down.
It was assumed that the Model 3 reveal was pushed to Q3 because once they announce the full Model 3 specs, Model S sales might tank temporarily. The revenue is still very much needed for the ramp up. Once there are enough Model 3 sales, it will no longer matter.