Tesla Model 3 customers could receive their car sooner than expected, according to Elon Musk
- During Tesla's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, CEO Elon Musk said the Model 3 could arrive earlier for some customers than the company's website indicates.
- Musk said US customers who make new reservations for a Model 3 should expect to receive the vehicle in three to four months if they opt for a long-range battery and rear-wheel drive.
- Tesla's website says delivery for that configuration takes four to six months.
- Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the disparity between the timeline described by Musk and the timeline on the company's website.
During Tesla's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, CEO Elon Musk said the Model 3 could arrive earlier for some customers than the company's website indicates.
Musk said US customers who make new reservations for a Model 3 sedan should expect to receive the vehicle in three to four months if they opt for a long-range battery and rear-wheel drive. Tesla's website says delivery for that configuration takes four to six months.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the disparity between the timeline described by Musk and the timeline on the company's website.
The Model 3 is Tesla's first mass-market vehicle and was designed to broaden the company's customer base beyond the luxury segment. The vehicle starts at $35,000, but currently, only the $44,000 version with a long-range battery is available.
In May, Musk said Tesla would start delivering the $35,000 base model three-to-six months after hitting its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3s per week. That means the base model could begin to arrive between September and December, since Musk said on Tuesday it was "quite likely" Tesla would reach that goal by the end of June. The company had originally planned to produce 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of 2017.
Musk previously said Tesla would begin delivering the $78,000, dual-motor version of the Model 3 in July.
Tesla has struggled to ramp up production for the Model 3 since it was launched in July 2017. During the fourth quarter of 2017, Tesla made 2,425 Model 3 vehicles. The company made 9,766 Model 3s during the first quarter, but missed its goal of producing 2,500 per week by the end of the quarter, instead making 2,020 Model 3s during the quarter's final week.
In May, Electrek reported that Musk sent an email to Tesla employees in which he said he expected the company to reach a production rate of over 500 Model 3s per day.
If you've reserved or received a Model 3 and have a story to share, you can contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.
Read more about Tesla's 2018 shareholder meeting:
- Elon Musk reveals new details about Tesla's plans to build Gigafactories around the world
- Elon Musk fights back tears at Tesla shareholder meeting, says past few months have been 'excruciating, hellish'
- Tesla shareholders shot down a proposal to remove Elon Musk as the chairman of the board of directors
- Elon Musk said the new Tesla Roadster will have a SpaceX upgrade package
- Elon Musk reveals new details about Tesla's upcoming Model Y SUV, the Roadster, and the Semi