The following is the text of a letter I sent by snail mail to Elon last week. I need help in getting my suggestion in front of him. Who knows the way to have this idea come to his attention? Thanks.
Dear Mr. Musk
I manage a portfolio of clean energy investments in which Tesla is one of our largest holdings. I am committed to the long-term success of Tesla and, as an investor, understand and approve of your strategy of offering only the long-range battery and premium interior at this point in time.
In addition to being a Tesla investor, I also am a Model 3 reservation holder whose reservation has matured making me eligible to order my Model 3 immediately. However, as customer, I am disappointed that I am told that the Standard Battery will not be available for another three to six months. That will be after the expiration of the $7,500 tax credit, and I really had planned to be driving my Tesla months ago.
This is a suggestion for a compromise strategy that would, in my opinion, significantly improve goodwill with the hundreds of thousands of would-be Model 3 owners who have placed deposits on the vehicle. I suggest that Tesla begin production of a limited number of Standard Battery Vehicles with standard interiors to more closely approximate the $35,000 to $40,000 price range that has been promised for so many years. If these were offered to those whose reservations have matured—possibly by way of some sort of lottery to give more prospective customers hope that they will have a Model 3 before the end of 2018—that will increase the visibility of the Model 3 on highways, demonstrate that Tesla is following through on its promise to make all electric long range vehicles affordable, and a be a good thing overall for the company. Please consider directing the production staff to start manufacturing a given number of standard battery vehicles and formulate some sort of system that would give customers like me a ray of hope. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.
Very Truly Yours,
Roy D. Wasson
Dear Mr. Musk
I manage a portfolio of clean energy investments in which Tesla is one of our largest holdings. I am committed to the long-term success of Tesla and, as an investor, understand and approve of your strategy of offering only the long-range battery and premium interior at this point in time.
In addition to being a Tesla investor, I also am a Model 3 reservation holder whose reservation has matured making me eligible to order my Model 3 immediately. However, as customer, I am disappointed that I am told that the Standard Battery will not be available for another three to six months. That will be after the expiration of the $7,500 tax credit, and I really had planned to be driving my Tesla months ago.
This is a suggestion for a compromise strategy that would, in my opinion, significantly improve goodwill with the hundreds of thousands of would-be Model 3 owners who have placed deposits on the vehicle. I suggest that Tesla begin production of a limited number of Standard Battery Vehicles with standard interiors to more closely approximate the $35,000 to $40,000 price range that has been promised for so many years. If these were offered to those whose reservations have matured—possibly by way of some sort of lottery to give more prospective customers hope that they will have a Model 3 before the end of 2018—that will increase the visibility of the Model 3 on highways, demonstrate that Tesla is following through on its promise to make all electric long range vehicles affordable, and a be a good thing overall for the company. Please consider directing the production staff to start manufacturing a given number of standard battery vehicles and formulate some sort of system that would give customers like me a ray of hope. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.
Very Truly Yours,
Roy D. Wasson
