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If we're going to make fun of companies leading with press releases before actual product, we can't ignore the fact that Tesla has been pretending they can make

If we're going to make fun of companies leading with press releases before actual product, we can't ignore the fact that Tesla has been pretending they can make a $35k car, when it has now been several years and their cars are nearly twice as much as that for the cheapest model.

mikekij 8y ago
Isn’t their cheapest model now $45k?
- callalex 8y ago
  You can "preorder" it and give them that much money, but they will then follow up with you and tell you that you won't get your car unless you buy more upgrades to push yourself further up in the backlog. So realistically, you can't buy a car at that price.
  - InTheArena 8y ago
    Tesla has been upfront about saying they are still looking at next year for the 35k version. At now point, will they (or have they) told anyone that they won't get the car unless you buy the mid-range or the long range versions. I was a day one reservation holder, and have never received such a message. And also, you can't pre-order it - you can put the same deposit down, if you want, as everyone else - that's 1k, and can apply that to a LR/MR and in the future SR. Also worth noting, the MR and the LR have different inverters, with the MR sharing the same inverter as the SR. Winter is coming ;-)
    - hndamien 8y ago
      They weren't really upfront about this when they were taking preorders in 2016. And I say this as a Model 3 reservation holder, Model S owner and TSLA shareholder.
      - InTheArena 8y ago
        Which is a true statement. It's the above that isn't. At this point, no one is locked in on that deposit. Anyone can cancel at any time - until you click purchase with a additional payment for the car, which is only after the car is available for purchase.
        hndamien 8y ago
        Nothing you have said is untrue, they were just a little misleading with timelines on day one. I'm also a day one reservation holder (in Australia so timelines were different). They never lied, but the have stretched the truth with the occasional weasel words. I'm forgiving since they have never lied, but I'd appreciate them being a little more accurate with information.
  - hndamien 8y ago
    It is $35k plus time. The old time is money trick.
  - martythemaniak 8y ago
    I think you're confusing the SR with the MR. People have already taken deliveries of their $45k MRs. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/mid-range-waiting-room.132538/page-11#post-3167961 https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/mid-range-waiting-ro...
gpm 8y ago
I mean, they are supply constrained at the current price point. Even if they could hit the $35k price point, why do so when it just means taking in less money? Judging by Elon's tweets, they do expect to be able to produce cars for that price in the near future. Whether or not they will sell them near the cost of production probably just depends on demand vs supply.
- cmrdporcupine 8y ago
  Sure, good point, why do so? But then why put out press releases and marketing material that imply that Tesla has performed the miracle of creating an "affordable" (well, $35k USD is still beyond 90% of people's pricepoint in reality) car for the masses? They've done no such thing. They've made another vehicle to compete with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. Which is fine, but let's call it what it is. There is no such thing as a $35k Model 3, and it could still be many years before we see one.
  - rohit2412 8y ago
    I don't think Elon musk or Tesla fans will ever say that. Truth is, Tesla sells well. Chevy bolt does not sell that well. And one of the major reason Tesla sells so well (50k model3 at 50k$ in a quarter) is because of the futuristic hype and image. So they will never admit that Tesla makes just another premium car, or that autopilot is just another driver assistance program.
stupidbird 8y ago
All of Elon Musk's businesses rely on government subsidies.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
  As do fossil fuels and lots of other things. What's your point?
- imglorp 8y ago
  I am totally okay with these kinds of subsidies, the ones that benefit society at large. There's plenty that aren't.
- api 8y ago
  Good. Name one major technological innovation that was not largely or wholly a product of government subsidies. The only ones I can think of were out of Bell Labs and Bell was a government backed monopoly so they don't really count. They were so profitable and protected they could spend like a government. Nothing new is ever profitable until you get past the early prototype and scaling stages. For big capital intensive stuff only government historically has pockets deep enough to burn enough money to get big stuff off the ground (sometimes literally). Rockets, jet engines, microprocessors, huge scale power grids, the Internet, genomics, supercomputing, nuclear power, solar power, the list goes on and on. Private investors just have too low a risk tolerance and too short a time horizon. I actually wish this weren't so, but it is so. It's also terribly hypocritical to bash Elon for taking government contracts when everyone does it. Why do you think Amazon's HQ2 is going to be in the DC area?
  - stupidbird 8y ago
    how am I personally benefitting from Elon Musk being a billionaire, taxpayer dollars shouldn't be reaching his pockets at that volume (meanwhile he prevents his employees from unionizing and suppresses injury reports at the cost of employee health...)
    - fsloth 8y ago
TulliusCicero 8y ago
Fair enough, but they're still selling a crapton of Model 3's, and they're now one of the biggest luxury car companies in the US, purely off of electrics.
spacenick88 8y ago
Their currently cheapest model is $45k so while it's true that they aren't there yet, they're closing in. And I'd say building $45k vehicles today is much closer to $35k than building an eGolf with 200 km range today and claiming that you will build $25k in 2020.

mikekij 8y ago

Isn’t their cheapest model now $45k?

callalex 8y ago
You can "preorder" it and give them that much money, but they will then follow up with you and tell you that you won't get your car unless you buy more upgrades to push yourself further up in the backlog. So realistically, you can't buy a car at that price.
- InTheArena 8y ago
  Tesla has been upfront about saying they are still looking at next year for the 35k version. At now point, will they (or have they) told anyone that they won't get the car unless you buy the mid-range or the long range versions. I was a day one reservation holder, and have never received such a message. And also, you can't pre-order it - you can put the same deposit down, if you want, as everyone else - that's 1k, and can apply that to a LR/MR and in the future SR. Also worth noting, the MR and the LR have different inverters, with the MR sharing the same inverter as the SR. Winter is coming ;-)
  - hndamien 8y ago
    They weren't really upfront about this when they were taking preorders in 2016. And I say this as a Model 3 reservation holder, Model S owner and TSLA shareholder.
    - InTheArena 8y ago
      Which is a true statement. It's the above that isn't. At this point, no one is locked in on that deposit. Anyone can cancel at any time - until you click purchase with a additional payment for the car, which is only after the car is available for purchase.
      - hndamien 8y ago
        Nothing you have said is untrue, they were just a little misleading with timelines on day one. I'm also a day one reservation holder (in Australia so timelines were different). They never lied, but the have stretched the truth with the occasional weasel words. I'm forgiving since they have never lied, but I'd appreciate them being a little more accurate with information.
- hndamien 8y ago
  It is $35k plus time. The old time is money trick.
- martythemaniak 8y ago
  I think you're confusing the SR with the MR. People have already taken deliveries of their $45k MRs. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/mid-range-waiting-room.132538/page-11#post-3167961 https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/mid-range-waiting-ro...

gpm 8y ago

I mean, they are supply constrained at the current price point. Even if they could hit the $35k price point, why do so when it just means taking in less money? Judging by Elon's tweets, they do expect to be able to produce cars for that price in the near future. Whether or not they will sell them near the cost of production probably just depends on demand vs supply.

cmrdporcupine 8y ago
Sure, good point, why do so? But then why put out press releases and marketing material that imply that Tesla has performed the miracle of creating an "affordable" (well, $35k USD is still beyond 90% of people's pricepoint in reality) car for the masses? They've done no such thing. They've made another vehicle to compete with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. Which is fine, but let's call it what it is. There is no such thing as a $35k Model 3, and it could still be many years before we see one.
- rohit2412 8y ago
  I don't think Elon musk or Tesla fans will ever say that. Truth is, Tesla sells well. Chevy bolt does not sell that well. And one of the major reason Tesla sells so well (50k model3 at 50k$ in a quarter) is because of the futuristic hype and image. So they will never admit that Tesla makes just another premium car, or that autopilot is just another driver assistance program.

stupidbird 8y ago

All of Elon Musk's businesses rely on government subsidies.

SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
As do fossil fuels and lots of other things. What's your point?
imglorp 8y ago
I am totally okay with these kinds of subsidies, the ones that benefit society at large. There's plenty that aren't.
api 8y ago
Good. Name one major technological innovation that was not largely or wholly a product of government subsidies. The only ones I can think of were out of Bell Labs and Bell was a government backed monopoly so they don't really count. They were so profitable and protected they could spend like a government. Nothing new is ever profitable until you get past the early prototype and scaling stages. For big capital intensive stuff only government historically has pockets deep enough to burn enough money to get big stuff off the ground (sometimes literally). Rockets, jet engines, microprocessors, huge scale power grids, the Internet, genomics, supercomputing, nuclear power, solar power, the list goes on and on. Private investors just have too low a risk tolerance and too short a time horizon. I actually wish this weren't so, but it is so. It's also terribly hypocritical to bash Elon for taking government contracts when everyone does it. Why do you think Amazon's HQ2 is going to be in the DC area?
- stupidbird 8y ago
  how am I personally benefitting from Elon Musk being a billionaire, taxpayer dollars shouldn't be reaching his pockets at that volume (meanwhile he prevents his employees from unionizing and suppresses injury reports at the cost of employee health...)
  - fsloth 8y ago

TulliusCicero 8y ago

Fair enough, but they're still selling a crapton of Model 3's, and they're now one of the biggest luxury car companies in the US, purely off of electrics.

spacenick88 8y ago

Their currently cheapest model is $45k so while it's true that they aren't there yet, they're closing in. And I'd say building $45k vehicles today is much closer to $35k than building an eGolf with 200 km range today and claiming that you will build $25k in 2020.