When it comes to Tesla, the American electric vehicle manufacturer is consistently swirling in controversy. The roll out of the Model 3 is the latest fiasco in this drama-filled saga and it shows no sign of slowing.
One of the biggest points of contention with the entry-level Tesla is the fact that no base model Model 3s have shipped. As is standard operating procedure for Tesla, the more seriously equipped vehicles go first. No surprise there. Simply it's how the company has previously done business.
Of course many of the hand raisers who have been patiently waiting though are wondering when their base Model 3 will get built and, eventually, shipped. In May, Elon Musk clarified that once the 5,000/week Model 3 production number was hit, TSLA would need approximately three to six months to deliver base vehicles.
OK. I'll buy that.
Now the 5k figure has been met, albeit under duress, but Tesla has removed the base Model 3 from its configurator. According to a report where a TSLA spokesperson answered a question about the matter, they replied that it was to further clarify what models are readily available — it's not a change in plan.
Do YOU buy that?
Was it a SMART or STUPID move for Tesla to remove the base Model 3 from its configurator? I don't want to break out the tin hats or anything, but I've got to ask: Do YOU believe TSLA's spokesperson?
...But later in the day, Tesla revamped the Model 3 page, removing any mention of a $35,000 price (or any other price) in the process.
We asked Tesla about this, and a Tesla spokesperson said that nothing has changed. "Tesla plans to introduce the $35,000 version in the future," she said—though she couldn't give a specific time frame for the new lower price.
"It's a mistake to position this as a change in Tesla's plan because it's not," she told Ars in a phone interview. "We're just focusing on the options that are available now for our customers so that it's more clear. There's nothing else to it..."
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