Tesla's Elon Musk: Model 3's Design Should Be Complete In Six Weeks

So, now what?

There's an unbelievable amount of interest in the Tesla Model 3 with over 350,000 handraisers that plunked down $1,000 USD for a spot. The electric vehicle manufacturer has been super aggressive setting timelines. And, historically, the schedule has never been on time.

Clearly, there's a huge amount of interest in Musk's product but if it doesn't arrive until 2018 or 2019 what does it matter for buyers that may not be ready to wait? While there was a major unveil of the all-new Model 3 earlier this year, it was VERY clear to anyone with eyeballs that it was not even close to being production ready.

Really, those were drivable concept vehicles. Nothing more, nothing less. So, when do we — and those who put down $1,000 deposits — get to see the real deal?

That's not entirely clear; however, when asked about Tesla and its infamous timelines Musk did say that the Model 3's design will be "pencils down" in about six weeks.

If I were to place a bet on when we'll see a real-life production Model 3 it would be in Q4 2016. I just can't imagine it happening sooner with all of the elements that need to be put through extensive research and development before a production design is shown to the world.

We want to hear from YOU, especially any of those who put down the $ for the wait list: How LONG are you willing to wait to see the REAL Model 3?

MDarringer - 6/4/2016 12:31:10 PM

-2 Boost

So six weeks until the design is complete...Hmm are they going to test it exhaustively in prototype form or head straight to production. Now that I think of it, Tesla is very much like the old TVR.

Clarkson: "This is a handy dandy board of all the cars Tesla currently makes. There the Model S, the Model X, the Model 3 and I've no idea which is which because they're all crappy electric things. They are!..."

mre30 - 6/4/2016 5:07:26 PM

+1 Boost

My primary pet peeve with Tesla at this point (aside from the other non-primary peeves of quality problems, Tesla being a wh**e to government subsidies, supercharger bait and switch policies etc. etc.) is the fact that they have taken hundreds of thousands of deposits on the Model 3, while the 20,000 people on the Model X wait list (some of whom ponied up $40,000 each) must wait and wait for delivery, so that ordinary retail customers off the street can buy a loaded Tesla X if they want. (source:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/01/04/tesla-buyers-who-put-40000-down-for-a-model-x-are-still-waiting-three-years-later.

If you walk into your local Tesla store, salespeople will probably say that you can have a Model X in your driveway in a month or two if you can pony up the full retail price ($130,000).

Thus, I postulate, that those 375,000 people who gave Tesla an interest free loan, ahem, a ‘deposit’, (which they will lose if Tesla files for bankruptcy), are complete lemmings, idiots, fantasy-world residents, fools, etc.

If Tesla is doing press releases this week, where is the press release being released that says something to the effect of

"...the possibility of a Model 3 wait-list customer actually being able to purchase a Model 3 for the entry level price is virtually nil. The likelihood of any person with $80,000 buying a loaded Model 3 a couple of months from the actual launch date is virtually 99%. The wait list is called the "wait list" because if you want a cheap one you will have to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait..."

I wonder how many of the 375,000 Model 3 deposit makers know that they may not be entitled to a “cheap” one at launch – in reality they will only get one if they buy the most expensive ($70,000-$80,000 fully loaded) vehicle. I don’t know the terms of the ‘deposit contracts’, but it seems very, very misleading to label these payments as 'wait-list' deposits. I wonder what the fine print really says?

MDarringer - 6/4/2016 7:36:58 PM

0 Boost

#brilliant