Tesla is one of the most Jekyll and Hyde companies in the automotive world. This company has boldly entered the world of production automotives with cars that don’t need a gasoline engine at all. This makes a Tesla vehicle one that helps to save the environment and is good for the planet. The Tesla Model S has been touted as one of the fastest cars on the market and with the new P100D with Ludicrous + mode this is a car that continues to improve and become a model that we admire.
Unfortunately, on the Hyde side of the coin, Tesla is well-known for missing dates and deadlines and has continually pushed back production on models. When the Model X was being built this vehicle missed several deadlines for release which caused those who had put a deposit down on this vehicle to have to wait even longer. Once on the road, the Model X was mired with troubles because of the intricacies of the gullwing doors and some of the systems inside this vehicle. With this brief history it seems that buying a Tesla has got to be a commitment of fandom because you might not have your car when you want it.
The same is becoming true with the new Model 3. For nearly a year now we’ve speculated that Tesla may have bit off more than it can chew with this model that’s being offered as the low priced model from Tesla that anyone can afford. With a low price of less than $30,000 after the Federal Tax Credit, this car has grown a huge following and over four hundred thousand people who have put a deposit of $1,000 on this car. Unfortunately, Tesla may still be in Hyde mode with the Model 3 as it was with the Model X.
There was supposed to be a beta test car on the road for the Model 3 before the end of 2016, but that didn’t happen. As of February 20 we do finally have some of these cars running around on the road, but that’s nearly two months later than it should have been. The goal for Tesla was to have Model 3 models rolling off the production line as early as July, but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be possible with the delays that have already been experienced by the company.
Another challenge for Tesla is the mass production this new car will require. Once the orders are filled that were put into place when the car was first presented nearly a year ago, the continued production is targeted at 500,000 models per year. Unfortunately, Tesla has never even reached half of that number but they expect to be able to make 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of this year, but that still has yet to be seen. Thankfully, near the end of last year the company was rolling off more models than they ever had, which is a Jekyll sign of the company that may head in the right direction.
Over the next several months we’ll learn more about whether or not the Jekyll or the Hyde part of Tesla will show up. There isn’t much confidence in this company meeting time goals and deadlines right now, and that’s based strictly upon the previous results on models that Tesla has created in the past. Hopefully, for Tesla’s sake and the sake of the many customers that have already paid their deposits, this company will be able to meet its goals and fill all the pre orders before the end of 2018 so that new customers can begin to look toward this new Model 3 as the ride they want to drive.
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