Blog Tesla is Building Car Carriers to Keep Up With Model 3 Deliveries

Tesla is in a sprint to deliver as many cars as possible ahead of the end of the third quarter. Chief Executive Elon Musk has called it “delivery logistics hell.”

In fact, Tesla is delivering so many cars that it’s having trouble finding car carriers. So, the company has started manufacturing their own trailers. Musk shared that tidbit in a tweet today.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1044294753041313792

Tesla has struggled with production bottlenecks since the Model 3 sedan was introduced, but is now reportedly churning out around 4,000 of those cars every week. The ramp in production is now creating a bottleneck in delivery.

TMC members and Tesla watchers have observed large lots packed with Model 3s, as well as trucks pulling full loads of Model 3s en route to new owners. Tesla is aiming to produce around 50,000 Model 3s in the third quarter.

Musk did not provide more details about the car carriers built by Tesla, but it’s interesting to see the company work out a solution when it’s up against a tough challenge. Musk has also tried to remove some pressure from Tesla’s delivery team by inviting existing Tesla owners to help “educate” new owners taking delivery.

Has anyone spotted a Tesla-built car carrier?

 

[Knightshade]

It's easily explained by state laws. States have different laws regarding what is considered to be acting as a dealer, and what manufacturers can do directly.

Then surely he can cite the law to support his claim.

I don't think there's any such law though...because galleries explicitly do not act as dealers

That's why they are galleries in fact.

Michigan, for example, has very restrictive laws that prevents Tesla from even operating service centers. I think it's that all-encompassing restriction that encouraged Tesla to sue Michigan rather than other states. The service center is the only really important part of local presence.

great example actually!

Despite the dealership and service restriction, Tesla has a gallery in michigan

Michigan
Somerset Collection2800 W. Big Beaver Road Space #N-114Troy, MI 48084
Gallery: (248) 205-1997
Roadside Assistance: (877) 798-3752

It's almost like even very restrictive state laws don't stop galleries- in direct contradiction to jelloslugs claims!

 

[jelloslug]

That is flatly false. Stop making things up dude.

The Charlotte location never had a dealers license.

Nobody got anything "revoked"

They didn't need a license to deliver a car (and still don't)


Tesla applied for an exemption to get a license- Hendrick (and others) argued against it- and the license was turned down.

here's a news story proving once again I provide facts and you just make things up-

North Carolina walks back on direct sales and denies Tesla’s latest dealership license

The article explains Raleigh got a license, but Charlotte was denied one.





False.

What they had was a small lot they still have that holds very few cars.

What they did first when the 3s came in was park them on the street up and down the road without tags.

Because nobody had bothered to plan for a 10x increase in car volume

Then another business called the cops, so they had to stop parking them there.

Then they rented a spare lot from a closed down gym (there's a thread on here with pictures of it loaded up with 3s).

Only a couple of months later they lost that lot because the owner sold the property.

They had no long-term agreement on using the lot you see.

And no backup plan.

And still don't.



Citing gallery locations is stupid, there is no point in putting a gallery in a location where all they can to is show the car

Then why is Tesla wasting all this money building things you say have "no point"?

because there is a point of course.

Charlotte is in fact a GREAT example.

The gallery there can still show and deliver cars.

It just can't take orders or payments- the paperwork goes through Raleigh, everything else can be done in Charlotte.

Again from the cited source proving you wrong-







Nobody claimed they did.

They have a huge problem with delivery though. Which Tesla (unlike you) admits they have, and is the topic of this thread.




Again- complete nonsense and completely false.

Otherwise how do you explain all the galleries in states they can't legally sell cars in like Texas?

But by all means, please cite the imaginary SC law that prohibits them from having a gallery in SC.

For years and years, The Charlotte location had dozens of new and used Teslas available for sale right there. Once the state changed the rules, they never had anything more than what was being delivered at any given time. The same applies now except that there are dozens of Model 3s going through there a day rather than 2 or 3 S or X cars. Tesla has not built a new gallery in a very long time. In fact, they have closed several ones including many (if not all) of them in the Nordstrom stores. The simple fact is that until Tesla is free to build what they want, where they want they will have to continue to do what they feel the is proper method to get cars to people. You are free to arm chair quarterback their methods but most of your "solutions" are not even legal in half the country, let alone feasible in the near future. It's quite obvious that Tesla wants to reduce the need for physical locations rather than increase them with the expansion of the Mobile Service cars and the roll out of the home delivery programs.

 

[jelloslug]

Then surely he can cite the law to support his claim.

I don't think there's any such law though...because galleries explicitly do not act as dealers

That's why they are galleries in fact.



great example actually!

Despite the dealership and service restriction, Tesla has a gallery in michigan




It's almost like even very restrictive state laws don't stop galleries- in direct contradiction to jelloslugs claims!

Galleries are pointless when the goal is to deliver cars.

 

[mongo]

That is flatly false. Stop making things up dude.

The Charlotte location never had a dealers license.

Nobody got anything "revoked"

They didn't need a license to deliver a car (and still don't)


Tesla applied for an exemption to get a license- Hendrick (and others) argued against it- and the license was turned down.

here's a news story proving once again I provide facts and you just make things up-

North Carolina walks back on direct sales and denies Tesla’s latest dealership license

The article explains Raleigh got a license, but Charlotte was denied one.

That's not what I read. From your posted article:

Now we learn that the DMC ruled against Tesla obtaining a second dealership license last week, which results in the automaker’s latest store in Charlotte having to operate as a ‘gallery’.

From the May 4th 2nd level linked article:

Tesla currently operates a store and service center in Charlotte and a service center in Raleigh. The automaker is now trying to get a second sales license since having won a legislative battle that successfully stopped a bill from outright banning direct car sales in the state back in 2013.

Tesla had one store and one license, they tried to get a second, were denied, so made Raleigh the store...

 

[Knightshade]

For years and years, The Charlotte location had dozens of new and used Teslas available for sale right there. Once the state changed the rules, they never had anything more than what was being delivered at any given time.

Stop making things up.

I cited a news story proving you're wrong.

Nobody 'changed the rules'

Their application for a second license was denied. They never had a second one to get "revoked"

Galleries are pointless when the goal is to deliver cars.

The gallery in charlotte can, and does, deliver cars.

The actual dealership in Raleigh does too- but very few of them due to lack of physical space

Which Tesla could fix by paying for a larger parking lot

So once again your claims do not stand up to reality or facts.

 

[jelloslug]

That's not what I read. From your posted article:


From the May 4th 2nd level linked article:


Tesla had one store and one license, they tries to get a second, were denied, so made Raleigh the store...

Tesla actually sold cars out the the Charlotte store for a long time. I got my Model S from the Charlotte store.

 

[jelloslug]

Stop making things up.

I cited a news story proving you're wrong.

Nobody 'changed the rules'

Their application for a second license was denied. They never had a second one to get "revoked"







The gallery in charlotte can, and does, deliver cars.

The actual dealership in Raleigh does too- but very few of them due to lack of physical space

Which Tesla could fix by paying for a larger parking lot

So once again your claims do not stand up to reality or facts.

They deliver cars from the Charlotte Service Center, that's the only reason they can deliver from there. There are no gallery only locations that deliver cars.

 

[Knightshade]

That's not what I read. From your posted article:


From the May 4th 2nd level linked article:


Tesla had one store and one license, they tried to get a second, were denied, so made Raleigh the store...

Again, false.

here's what the original linked source actually says-


North Carolina denies Tesla a dealership license

Tesla had hoped to open a second North Carolina dealership location at its existing gallery and service center in Matthews, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte. The company has one dealership in the state, in Raleigh.

The Raleigh location was always a dealership.

The denial was to make the Charlottle (matthews) location into one.

 

[mongo]

Again, false.

here's what the original linked source actually says-


North Carolina denies Tesla a dealership license





The Raleigh location was always a dealership.

The denial was to make the Charlottle (matthews) location into one.

Well, that indeed contradicts your previous link ...

 

[Knightshade]

Tesla actually sold cars out the the Charlotte store for a long time. I got my Model S from the Charlotte store.

No, they didn't. And no, you didn't. (well, you might have "gotten" it as far as picked it up- but they didn't sell it there)

N.C. says Tesla can’t sell cars at Charlotte-area store

The company has a showroom on East Independence Boulevard in Matthews, where product specialists can talk about the cars and provide test drives. But under state law, they can’t take orders or deposits.

So in January, Tesla applied for permission to turn the Matthews showroom into a store

That permission was denied.

They never had a dealers license

you can take delivery there. you can't buy there.

 

[Knightshade]

Well, that indeed contradicts your previous link ...

Only if you didn't bother to click on the link to the original source which makes it clear Jellodude is wrong

 

[jelloslug]

No, they didn't. And no, you didn't.

N.C. says Tesla can’t sell cars at Charlotte-area store



That permission was denied.

They never had a dealers license

you can take delivery there. you can't buy there.

I know you are desperate to be right but you simply are wrong.

 

[Knightshade]

I know you are desperate to be right but you simply are wrong.

I've cited like 5 news sources proving you're lying dude.

You've cited 0 sources supporting any of your factually untrue claims.

I agree someone here is desperate, but it ain't me

 

[jelloslug]

I've cited like 5 news sources proving you're lying dude.

You've cited 0 sources supporting any of your factually untrue claims.

I agree someone here is desperate, but it ain't me

I was there and signed the paperwork. The whole reason that Hendrick Automotive got all bent out of shape about the Charlotte store was that they were selling out of there.

 

[Matias]

https://jalopnik.com/auto-haulers-dont-know-anything-about-elon-musks-claime-1829329912

”Young did have a possible explanation about what may be going on with Tesla. Essentially, Young suggested that the issues may not be about an actual shortage of auto haulers, but a lack of planning on Tesla’s part.”

 

[jelloslug]

”Young did have a possible explanation about what may be going on with Tesla. Essentially, Young suggested that the issues may not be about an actual shortage of auto haulers, but a lack of planning on Tesla’s part.”

Here is an article that says the exact opposite of what the auto hauler reps are saying:

Car haulers fight driver shortage

"It also contributes big time to driver job dissatisfaction. Truckers, who by law have a limited number of hours they can drive, are paid based on a percentage of the value of the goods they move, not by the hour. Add it up, and that's a major reason why the car-hauling industry is short about 3,000 drivers."

 

[Knightshade]

I was there and signed the paperwork. The whole reason that Hendrick Automotive got all bent out of shape about the Charlotte store was that they were selling out of there.

Nope.

Tesla applied for an exception to be able to obtain a dealers license for their Charlotte location.

It was at that point that local dealers objected to them being given one. And they weren't given one.

You know- like the multiple news sources already cited told you.

Or like this one does-

Tesla opens a location in SouthPark Mall

Customers can’t buy cars directly at the boutique, though. That’s been the case since Tesla first entered the Charlotte market with a service center in Matthews at 9140 E. Independence Blvd.

It goes on to say-

customers in Charlotte ordering a Tesla car must do so on the company’s website. The vehicle is then delivered to the local service center.

North Carolina state law says automakers can’t sell their cars directly to consumers, unless they get an exception and show it’s in the public interest. That’s what Tesla tried to do earlier this year, but the Department of Motor Vehicles denied its application.

Facts! try them sometime!

 

[jelloslug]

Here is another:
Trucking ‘in trouble’ if it doesn’t solve the payroll problem for drivers

 

[Knightshade]

Here is an article that says the exact opposite of what the auto hauler reps are saying:

Car haulers fight driver shortage

"It also contributes big time to driver job dissatisfaction. Truckers, who by law have a limited number of hours they can drive, are paid based on a percentage of the value of the goods they move, not by the hour. Add it up, and that's a major reason why the car-hauling industry is short about 3,000 drivers."

That's a 3 year old story.

The quote from the two different trucking reps are from this week.

 

[mongo]

I've cited like 5 news sources proving you're lying dude.

You've cited 0 sources supporting any of your factually untrue claims.

I agree someone here is desperate, but it ain't me

The store opened April 2015 Tesla opening Matthews store next week
NC shut down sales May 2016 North Carolina walks back on direct sales and denies Tesla’s latest dealership license
That was a year of being open (apparently without a license).
in further changing of the playing field:
NC blocked test drives Oct 2017 Tesla is asked by DMV to stop giving test drives out of Charlotte gallery

Interestingly; Tesla is apparently delivering cars from that location.