Still on the fence about committing to buying a first gen Model 3?

[dsvick]

Tesla had said any car reserved now would not be delivered until after 2018. Therefore 400k+ cars would be delivered before a person reserving today. You would probably be getting a Gen 2 car.

And even if it's not delivered until after 2018, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will be a "Gen 2" model.

And, given the way Tesla integrates fixes and changes into their production I don't know that there will be a defining moment where you can separate generation I from II. They should just get incrementally better as time goes on.

 

[BluestarE3]

And, given the way Tesla integrates fixes and changes into their production I don't know that there will be a defining moment where you can separate generation I from II. They should just get incrementally better as time goes on.

Exactly! What makes a "Gen 2" Model S? Facelift? AWD? Autopilot? We'll see the same thing with Model 3.

 

[eisbock]

Exactly! What makes a "Gen 2" Model S? Facelift? AWD? Autopilot? We'll see the same thing with Model 3.

I would love nothing more than to see Tesla break this stupid mold of yearly updates and refreshes every half decade. Change should come when inspiration strikes or technology necessitates it, not because the year is over. This creates forced changes that are often gimmicks. There's a lot of fixing what ain't broken just to have something different for the next model year. And if new technology is available at the beginning of the year, we have to wait until next year. It restricts technology development and is a contributing factor to why all automotive companies are so stagnant.

 

[garsh]

I would love nothing more than to see Tesla break this stupid mold of yearly updates and refreshes every half decade. Change should come when inspiration strikes or technology necessitates it, not because the year is over.

Change is done this way for two reasons.

1. Suppliers require commitments. And a manufacturer requires commitments from suppliers. This helps keep per-unit costs down, but it constrains your ability to make running changes. Tesla has fewer issues here than most due to their vertical integration - they are less dependent on suppliers.
2. Cars are (expensive) fashion accessories. And fashions eventually go out of style. Tesla has had a remarkably long run with the Model S. The facelift helps a lot. But eventually, sales will slow and it will no longer make sense to keep building the Model S. Tesla will need to design a different vehicle to drive demand.

But I agree - I love that Tesla can and does make changes as soon as they are able, without waiting for "the next model year" to introduce them.

 

[azred]

Change is done this way for two reasons.

1. Suppliers require commitments. And a manufacturer requires commitments from suppliers. This helps keep per-unit costs down, but it constrains your ability to make running changes. Tesla has fewer issues here than most due to their vertical integration - they are less dependent on suppliers.
2. Cars are (expensive) fashion accessories. And fashions eventually go out of style. Tesla has had a remarkably long run with the Model S. The facelift helps a lot. But eventually, sales will slow and it will no longer make sense to keep building the Model S. Tesla will need to design a different vehicle to drive demand.

But I agree - I love that Tesla can and does make changes as soon as they are able, without waiting for "the next model year" to introduce them.

Are you really that sure of bullet point 2? Five years is a long time? I assume Porsche 911's fall within your expensive fashion accessory goes out of style theory. Porsche decided to phase them out about 25 years ago, probably loosely based on your theory. How did that work out? VW bugs had a pretty decent run too since WWII, even with their largely unchanged look. Corvettes continue to do OK with their iconic shapes too, wouldn't you agree? You may be proven right but it may also happen that the Tesla S will be looked back on in twenty or thirty years as an iconic shape that will still be very recognizable and very desirable. They have taken cars in an entirely new direction. Is it that hard to believe they will be iconic for that reason alone? That and the fact I get almost as many compliments as I ever have with my 911's -- and that happens a lot.

 

[garsh]

Are you really that sure of bullet point 2?

No, I'm not. Like you said, there are exceptions. But the majority of cars go out of style and the manufacturer is no longer able to continue selling them without making changes. We'll see how the Teslas fare over time.

 

[Matt125]

There will always be a Model S just like there will always be a VW Golf or a Ford Fiesta.
The shape of the car may change (the 911 may not be the best example because the basic design has remained unchanged throughout its history, not many cars are like this) but the designation will always be there unless a complete and radical redesign is needed...