Tesla Has Dropped The Reservation Model and has Opened Orders to Everyone
Electrek, an EV-centric outlet, reported on an interesting announcement made by Tesla in regards to the Model 3. As of right now, reservations are no longer required to access Tesla’s online configurator. In other words, now anyone can order a Model 3 without placing a $1,000 reservation.
After two years of mostly unfulfilled reservations, Tesla is starting to show a shift in priorities. This announcement came very shortly after the company announced that they wanted to begin making a bigger push for model 3 sales. Prior to this, Tesla admitted to “Anti-Selling” the Model 3 in favor of other models that were already out to market.
Tesla has shown its inability to deliver a product in a timely manner. This is evident even in the most recent update, as it seems as though you can still only order the more expensive performance packages of the Model 3. However, this shift in priorities shows the consumer that the automotive startup is preparing to ship completed cars. After many years of waiting, it seems as though customers may start to see their investments return.
But what does all of this mean for prior reservation holders?
Well, not much has changed as the brand still intends to prioritize reservation holders, although it is unclear how they intend to do so. The wait times are still varying wildly on the pre-order models. Tesla has mostly kept quiet on backlog numbers. However, those that put down a deposit have been informed of their specific wait time. Only the brave individuals that took the plunge, and gave up deposits will know when their vehicles are being delivered.
It seems that Tesla has just used the previous reservations and deposits as a way to raise funds to put towards production. Unfortunately, it seems as though this model is becoming commonplace in the industry. The most recent update has given us hope that the company is ready to deliver, but only time will tell.