Production quality and ordering questions

[coder77]

Hello,

I am considering ordering a M3 LR in US. I have a few questions:

1. I read a few threads mentioning that the production quality is better in Shanghai plant. Supposedly, the cars produced there do not have panel gap, paint issues. Is there any chance a US order would be fulfilled from Shanghai? I would guess not. If so should I wait until Fresno plant improves the production quality?
2. There is a mention of improved battery/range for Model 3. Apparently Denmark Tesla website posted an improved range for M3. Is this something that's going to happen for US spec cars soon? Is it something worth waiting for?
3. Are any of you anxious about ordering now and potentially missing out on up to 10k federal rebates? It would be a significant chunk of the car's value.
4. Any other features worth waiting for that I am not aware of?

I am not necessarily in need of a car right away since I am working from home at the moment and we have one ICE car to get us around. I assume we might be back at the office around September. I probably would like to have the car by then but I can still push the purchase ahead if there is something worth waiting for.

Thank you very much.

 

[jjrandorin]

No, there is ZERO chance any US order would be fulfilled from the shanghi plant. That wont happen unless tesla moves their manufacturing completely out of the US, which they have not announced they will do.

The "panel gaps / Production quality" discussion has been going on since before I started visiting this site. In general, it tends to be overblown. There have been some issues with vehicles, sure, but people here would have you believe the car is falling apart, or you should take a measuring tool with you when you pick up the vehicle.

Most of the "range improvements" are currently because of a slightly bigger battery. Since you likely wont get that range anyway (unless you drive at 55 MPH on your road trip), that number doesnt really matter very much unless you are the proverbial traveling salesperson who drives out their entire max range daily, and have no access to charging at home or work.

Since you dont need a car now, there isnt any reason to buy one. No one knows for sure what any future incentives will look like, just that it is also likely tesla will raise prices at least somewhat to capture some of whatever that incentive is. I think there is almost a zero chance that (for example) the 7500 incentive comes back and tesla does not raise prices at least some in response. They are slowly raising prices now in fact.

 

[Frackle]

1. With US-China relations as they are right now, it’s super unlikely that we’re getting Shanghai Teslas anytime soon. I wouldn’t wait for production quality out of Fresno to get better, almost all issues seem fairly easy to fix if you point them out upon delivery (that said, my Tesla is still on order so others would be more qualified to comment).
2. Depends on how long you’re willing to wait. I’d be surprised if they showed up this year.
3. Again, depends on how long you’re willing to wait. The previous tax deductions weren’t effective until January 1 of the year after they were passed, but a rebate might be different. We’ll definitely have more info by September, if you can wait until then.
4. Fart mode 2.0

 

[sychotix]

We’ll definitely have more info by September, if you can wait until then.

Maybe true, but keep in mind the long wait time on actually getting your car.

 

[jjrandorin]

1. With US-China relations as they are right now, it’s super unlikely that we’re getting Shanghai Teslas anytime soon.

I dont think this has anything to do with US / China relations in this case. Simple Logistics states it makes zero sense to ship a car from China to the US when the same car is already made in the US.

Manufacturers that ship cars to the US from around the world do so because that make / model isnt made here, or close to here. Using BMW as an example (because its the brand I am most familiar with other than tesla, having driven only BMWs for 18 years before getting my model 3), Certain BMW models were shipped from Germany to the US because they were not made here, or close to here.

All BMW X3/4/5/6 are made in the US, so shipped from the BMW plant in north carolina world wide. If (for example) they were made in the US and in Germany, no one from Germany would ever get a new X5 made in the US because that makes no sense.

Same thing here with Tesla. Fremont currently makes all models of Tesla vehicles, and until they dont, its unlikely Teslas made anywhere else ever get sold here... unless demand in the world tanks so much while US demand spikes or something.

Its not "impossible" but its not something anyone could request in the US "I want a tesla made in the shanghi plant" isnt going to happen. The interesting thing is, people tend to want what is not already there. If we were getting the ones made from Shanghai, people would complain and say they want the US made ones (like many are doing in the UK for example).

 

[coder77]

I dont think this has anything to do with US / China relations in this case. Simple Logistics states it makes zero sense to ship a car from China to the US when the same car is already made in the US.

Manufacturers that ship cars to the US from around the world do so because that make / model isnt made here, or close to here. Using BMW as an example (because its the brand I am most familiar with other than tesla, having driven only BMWs for 18 years before getting my model 3), Certain BMW models were shipped from Germany to the US because they were not made here, or close to here.

All BMW X3/4/5/6 are made in the US, so shipped from the BMW plant in north carolina world wide. If (for example) they were made in the US and in Germany, no one from Germany would ever get a new X5 made in the US because that makes no sense.

Same thing here with Tesla. Fremont currently makes all models of Tesla vehicles, and until they dont, its unlikely Teslas made anywhere else ever get sold here... unless demand in the world tanks so much while US demand spikes or something.

Its not "impossible" but its not something anyone could request in the US "I want a tesla made in the shanghi plant" isnt going to happen. The interesting thing is, people tend to want what is not already there. If we were getting the ones made from Shanghai, people would complain and say they want the US made ones (like many are doing in the UK for example).

Just to be clear I don‘t care about the origin of the product but I do care about the quality. It sounds like there is not much of a difference between M3s manufactured in US and China.

 

[coder77]

It is super unclear. So which battery are the cars shipping from Fremont coming with? The same it always has been or the LG one?

 

[sroy]

It is super unclear. So which battery are the cars shipping from Fremont coming with? The same it always has been or the LG one?

LG is "The same it always has been" BTW, the newer is Panasonic. I may have them mixed up though.

It depends on the model and the region they shipping to. And it is probably an ongoing change as we speak depending on the stock of battery pack they have on hand.

What is known is:

- the performance models are shipping with Panasonic since late 2020
- starting this quarter, in Europe there are 2 LR AWD models the 580km one (presumably the LG) and the 614km one (presumably the Panasonic). The range rating is from WLTP, not EPA.
- All other models ships with LG pack as far as we currently know.

I do not know for the MIC ones.

 

[Dogs_In_A_Pile]

All BMW X3/4/5/6 are made in the US, so shipped from the BMW plant in north carolina world wide.

Not to nit pick but Spartanburg, South Carolina actually

 

[jjrandorin]

Not to nit pick but Spartanburg, South Carolina actually

Your right, Thanks for the correction. I knew that, not sure why I typed something different other than being a silly geographically challenged Californian (lol).

 

[Dogs_In_A_Pile]

Your right, Thanks for the correction. I knew that, not sure why I typed something different other than being a silly geographically challenged Californian (lol).

I used to live there a long, long time ago.

 

[TBrownTX]

You may be able to pickup the China made Model 3 at Walmart at some point down the line, but the "Low Prices - Always" may disqualify you from getting the rebate.

Seriously though, the quality issues are WAY overblown and are more urban myth than truth.

People who didn't even know what a "panel gap" was, and have purchased several other cars, likely with gaps are printing out 32 page checklists to hyper inspect their Tesla.

Tim