With Tesla's poor production ramp-up (and nonexistent start date for the standard model, which is what I want), it's clear to me now that the company is literally taking $7,500 out of my pocket and putting it into the pocket of someone wealthier who can afford $54K plus tax for his/her Model 3. Why? The tax credit phase-out, of course. Even in the best case scenario (Tesla delays even more and doesn't reach the 200K sales point until Q3, let's say), the only Tesla buyers who will get the credit are those who get a car delivered in 2018. Unless I'm missing something, that means all of the standard model buyers will be paying at least $3,250 more than they should have, and probably the whole $7,500 for most people on the list.
I'm not sure how Tesla justifies this pretty obvious marketing bait-and-switch. First this is a $35K car for the average Joe Lithium, and we are going to get $7,500 taken off the top. That was March 2016, when I thought getting to a dealership at the crack of dawn on March 31st actually mattered. More than two years later, I am estimating that I have another year to go to see a car in my driveway. It's not that I'm sorry Tesla is doing so well and selling a lot of cars... good for them, and good for EVs in general. But by deliberately not producing the standard model, they are allowing others to jump the line and take a credit before they are entitled to it.
I never thought I would consider canceling and getting the 150 mile-range Leaf, but why shouldn't I if sitting around is going to cost me thousands of dollars?
I know... I should direct my anger at a short-sighted Congress and lackluster lobbying by ambivalent car makers who would rather go the compliance car route than win the EV market. But it was Tesla, and Tesla alone, that made the decision to put standard model buyers second, even when they've shown nothing but loyalty.
JG