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Anyone put a deposit on a Tesla model 3?

So far about 230,000 people have put down a deposit on the Tesla 3 which won't even start delivery until late 2017 (if all goes well).

Did any B and B members do this? I don't really care about the car itself one way or the other. What do you think of this whole deposit tactic? My take on it is if I ever wanted this car, I'd be able to get one eventually, so why lock in for a grand now? Is Tesla just trying to induce a sense of scarcity to get people signing up now? They could just be trying to size up the market. And putting a $1,000 deposit as a requirement does help separate the wheat from the chaff as far as who is seriously thinking of buying. But I suspect the deposit/waiting list model solves more problems for Tesla than it does for Tesla buyers.

What do you folks think?
 
I think it solves whatever problem they had that need a quarter billion dollars to solve.
I'll wait for the used models to hit the road. I like the current Tesla a lot, but it's not an 85000 dollar car.
 
I agree with you, shaveitoff. I've been following electrics and hybrids for years now. Tesla claims the first Tesla 3 will come out late in 2017. But the S and X started off very slow and didn't ship in significant quantities for some time. It could be well into 2018 before they get through that backlog.

Meanwhile, the Chevy Bolt has the same core value ($35K pricepoint, 200+ mile range) and claims they will be in market in full production this year. I'd expect Nissan to have something before 2018 as well.

I was tempted by the Tesla 3, but I decided to wait it out and see who else comes to market.
 
Krow, it is interesting to compare the Telsa to the Chevy Bolt and Nissan. It makes me think that the deposit is a bit like the crowdfunding model. An established company can build and introduce a product, and even survive a flop. But if Telsa went in blind and built 230,000 Model 3s, they wouldn't know at the outset if they could expect to sell them, despite any forecasts they had.
 
Why would anyone want a car that runs on coal? :lol:

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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I like Tesla cars, but I don't need a new car right now, and I'm not going to need one next year or the year after. I'm going to stand pat for a bit.
 
The last three posts say it pretty well. Unlike penny smart pound foolish in the small consumables of shaving, a vehicle is a bit more serious balance. While I'm all for the win, when the economics are flush, I don't have the disposable funds to throw them at the dream to come.
 
I have to admit that I find it intriguing. However, I still have more than two years left on my lease, and haven't had a car without a manual transmission in decades.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I live on an electric boat and commute on an electric bike. I would not mind having an electric car but I am not putting a deposit down on a Tesla 3. Too much vaporwear being pushed these days.
 

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
Ah, but if you have solar panels on your house (which I will, once it is paid off next year) then a lot of the car will be powered by solar :biggrin:

Personally I'm going nuclear. Electricity is generated in many ways. I'm guessing that the large plants can produce energy in ways that are more efficient than small engines burning gas and diesel. Then too, as Owen points out, it can also be produced from solar, wind, and hydro electric.
 
Not in the market for a car, but I'm watching the electric market with interest. It's maturing slowly, and the short distances the cars get, and the scarcity of charging stations are keeping me away. Even at 200 miles, there is no guarantee I'll find a recharge at the end. I want to see a range of 500 miles, and lots more charing points before I make the leap. I can wait.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
As for the Volt and Leaf ,haven't they had dismal reliability history ?

How so? Batteries have a finite life cycle. Everything else lasts quite a long time. Take the cost of the battery bank and divide it by projected miles of service, then add the cost of the kw/hrs used to charge the bank. Take the cost of the gasoline used to go the same distance in the same time span as the projected life of the batteries, and compare the two figures. I am thinking they will be pretty close, if not slightly favoring the electric. You do the research and the math. You won't save much money. if any, going electric, overall. But it might (or might not) suit your lifestyle and philosophy, and help make the planet a little greener due to the greater efficiency of large powerplants vs the poor efficiency of small infernal combustion engines. Literally,YMMV.

I know this, though. KW/hrs from the shore power meter are a lot cheaper than gallons of diesel, for my boat. And because the weight penalty is not really relevant, I have no problem going with the cheap low tech lead-acid flooded cell golf cart batteries instead of LiFePO4 batteries. The Lithium battery pack on my e-bike has already well paid for itself, even including cost of power to charge it, vs gallons of gasoline for a moped or scooter of similar performance.

The modern electric car is still fairly young technology and still has a lot of rough edges. The successful e-car driver will have a good fundamental grasp of electric propulsion and storage systems. And he will have occasion to make use of the e-car in situations where the limited range etc is not an issue. If that's not you, you might want to hold off buying an e-car for now..
 
I have always had to put down $1000 on every car I ordered, it's just a common thing dealerships do because of the options/colors you choose. If you end up not purchasing the car they keep the grand. Custom paint color on a car will cost you a $5,000 deposit. very standard practice.
 
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