I don't think we can fault Tesla for supply chain problems. Nor can we blame them for prioritizing in a way that maximizes profit for the company. But, as a long time Tesla driver and early adopter, this experience has left a really bad taste in my mouth. Someone above likened this to Christmas, with a bunch of impatient children waiting for a gift.
@JER85 is absolutely correct. People need cars. In addition to the basic transportation needs, when it comes to buying a Tesla people are arranging financing, doing short term leasing, coordinating trade-ins, getting insurance quotes. All with a moving goal post. Again, it's hard to blame Tesla for whatever rate limiting steps have stopped production. But, their communication has been abysmal and has had real world impact on people's lives. This is preventable.
I don't believe Tesla is obligated to give us play-by-play details or share information that would compromise trade secrets. But, lip service would go a long way. AJ Scaringe over at Rivian is also struggling to build cars, too, but he is at least sending out periodic communications. I consider EDD on all of our accounts as part of their communication failure. I don't trust that Tesla has given information that they in good faith believe to be true. The result is an unfair business advantage, as it prevents some people from moving on to a different vehicle option. The rebuttal to this is: "No one is producing cars right now" and "There is no competition"... These things may be true, but one of my biggest regrets through all this is that I didn't put a deposit down on a Rivian sooner than I did. I imagine some out there would have gotten in line early for an F-150 if they realized that their April 2021 MX probably is more like April 2022.
The most recent kick in the rocks is this incredibly stupid bot. Really? You are leaving thousands of customers high and dry with zero communication about their six figure commitment to you for a product that is necessary while you put actual resources into developing a robot??? Elon has pushed the envelope in many ways that have already changed the world. But, not only does this new venture seem outright silly, unnecessary and unlikely to make our lives better, it feels tone deaf to all those who waiting for a product they actually need.