The Curious Case of the Missing Model 3

Few — if any — journalists cover Tesla with the same dogged determination as former TTAC managing editor Ed Niedermeyer, and he’s just shed light on a perplexing mystery: The case of the missing Standard Range Model 3.

We’re talking about the base, $35,000 Model 3 promised at the model’s launch three years ago. The vehicle Tesla finally opened orders for in February, apparently after working some magic that made the long-awaited variant’s appearance financially viable. It seems that not only are would-be owners still waiting, but Tesla is doing its damndest to sway them from the purchase.

You can read more at The Drive. The Standard Range Model 3, accompanied by a “Plus” model that boosts range from 220 miles to 240, was expected to begin reaching customers in two to four weeks after Tesla’s announcement, but those deliveries were later pushed back.

Amid a flurry of across-the-board pricing changes, workforce culls, and general retail confusion at Tesla, customers have taken to numerous online forums to complain of further delays sent to their phones via text message. These ones come without a specific date or timeline attached. On top of that, some customers report Tesla attempting to upsell them to a pricier model over the phone.

disappoints again. I downloaded twitter just to post this. My family put down a $1,000 deposit the first day Tesla took money. We put down $2,500 as soon as they accepted money for the. We got a message…delivery Friday!Then 2 days latter told JK :( pic.twitter.com/LMfem0aIbd

— Eric Paoli (@ericedwardpaoli) March 25, 2019

Given the company’s current state of flux, one wonders just how financially viable the Standard Range Model 3 actually is. Doubts existed before this, what with the model’s release coinciding with the move to an online sales model and subsequent retail store closures. While those closures were soon pared back, the subsequent price increase applied to all Tesla models omitted the Standard Range Model 3.

As more and more customers take to forums and social media to vent their frustrations, it appears as though literally no one has taken delivery of a Standard Range model. Standard Range Plus, yes, but the cheapest Tesla — the EV for the masses — remains a ghost. Some customers call the automaker’s actions a “bait and switch.”

It’s possible there’s a delivery jogjam in need of clearing, or, just as possible, the company has yet to build any of the Standard Range models. At some point, it has to, regardless of what it anticipates the demand will be.

[Image: Tesla]