Possibility to have Tesla install front motor after delivery?

[Shygar]

I'm more curious than anything, but for those of us who bought the rear wheel drive, I wonder how difficult it would be to add the front wheel drive motor by the service center? I would think as long as the wiring harness is the same then it might work, but maybe it wasn't designed that way.

Personally I thought about whether I wanted/needed AWD before ordering mine and realized that I really don't need it so I went ahead and completed my RWD order. But it would be interesting if you could add it later for $5k or something like that.

 

[rhaekar]

Anything is possible with enough money. No way in hell it's going to cost as much as the AWD upgrade would cost when you configure. It's probably going to be cheaper to sell your car and buy an AWD.

 

[marusan]

Reportedly M3's were generic enough that this might've been possible at one point, but Elon mentioned that one of the mistakes they'd made was having ports in both the front and back of the battery packs, and that they were spending extra time and parts covering the front port for RWD vehicles. So, if they "fixed" that, new RWD vehicles will have a power pack lacking a connection possibility in the front for the front inverter.

 

[Tam]

...add it later...

It's a for-profit company so although I think it's technologically possible, I don't think Tesla would do it as Tesla has a history of seldom retrofiting your hardware.

It's been willing to upgrade on intentionally software limited products such as a 60 kWh battery sold as 40 kWh... but not for hardware such as installing air suspension for coiled ones...

 

[Shygar]

Anything is possible with enough money. No way in hell it's going to cost as much as the AWD upgrade would cost when you configure. It's probably going to be cheaper to sell your car and buy an AWD.

It's a $4k option when you buy it new

 

[Shygar]

Reportedly M3's were generic enough that this might've been possible at one point, but Elon mentioned that one of the mistakes they'd made was having ports in both the front and back of the battery packs, and that they were spending extra time and parts covering the front port for RWD vehicles. So, if they "fixed" that, new RWD vehicles will have a power pack lacking a connection possibility in the front for the front inverter.

Ok yea that's the only part I wasn't sure about conceptually. It would have been interesting for them to make it relatively easy to add after to get more money.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

They will do it for $57,000.

 

[ℬête Noire]

It's a $4k option when you buy it new

Yes, and my mind boggles at what the price would be to buy it post-manufacturing. For starters it won't be coming from Tesla, it'll be 3rd party and they'll have to try find necessary parts somewhere. Besides the HV lines, control wire harness, etc, the front suppression is a something of a redux for it. Trying to buy OEM parts from Tesla is, at this point, an exercise in frustration. They'll need to salvage them or something, which isn't easy.

 

[eSpiritIV]

...The suspension has to change to fit the front motor so cost there
....The front motor
.....the extra wiring
....same inverter in the battery pack? Hmm not sure

 

[commasign]

Also, the VIN (digit #8 specifically) indicates what kind of motor setup you have. Doubt Tesla would risk getting into trouble with NHTSA by modifying that after delivery.

Tesla updates VIN decoder for Model 3 production vehicles

 

[Shygar]

Also, the VIN (digit #8 specifically) indicates what kind of motor setup you have. Doubt Tesla would risk getting into trouble with NHTSA by modifying that after delivery.

Tesla updates VIN decoder for Model 3 production vehicles

You mean Tesla won't grind off the old VIN number and put a new one on?

 

[commasign]

You mean Tesla won't grind off the old VIN number and put a new one on?

If it were that easy, I'd like to change my X 90D into a X P90D.

 

[ℬête Noire]

You mean Tesla won't grind off the old VIN number and put a new one on?

I will, for a price! .... I mean, someone I know of and don't approve of will. Yeah, that's the ticket.......