2016 Model S delivery in 2015

Well that would be nice. Too bad they didn't offer that to all of us. How frustrating.

If you get the delivery in 2015, I believe it's a 2015 car.... But you do get the tax benefit on this year's tax return...

ION eDRV said:

If you get the delivery in 2015, I believe it's a 2015 car.... But you do get the tax benefit on this year's tax return...

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For Tesla, it's historically been based on the date of manufacturer; specifically, the estimated EOL date. However, manufacturers can set the year on the VIN +/- a year from manufacture, and most do. This is why you can often buy next year's model from other brands in the fall in the US (September/October).

Tesla is trying to get as many deliveries as possible by the end of the year. They know a number of people care about the model year, likely due to resale value concerns even though the data for used Teslas has shown it doesn't matter (it does matter for other manufacturers.) By eliminating this issue, Tesla can increase 2015 deliveries and revenue.

Interestingly, Tesla decided to make all model X's manufactured in 2015 MY16 (model year) cars. I suspect the first MY17 model X's will be made in December of 2016.

With the way Tesla rolls in changes, the model year means almost nothing, though its the only visible banner associated with the car to reference it, especially for resale. So getting a "2016" in 2015 is a big deal when thinking about the tax credit and resale.

Wouldn't it be great to switch from model year to version? so each small upgrade is a 0.0X release and each larger upgrade (autopilot sensors) is a 0.X0 release and each major re-architecture/body style change is a X.0.0 release. The date range of manufacture would be referenced by the version number and be much more granular than a simple year reference. I have an April 2014 build, which is very very different from a November 2014 build with autopilot sensors and completely different steering/braking system.

Yes, this can be decoded to some degree through the VIN, but I did see references to some cars with autopilot with lower VINs from cars without during the switch-over time period. A simple version number and reference table would be awesome. Probably discussed in length before on here somewhere, just haven't seen it.

I am extremely sad that Tesla caved on this. Buying a 2016 car in 2015 has always been absolutely ridiculous, and around here you start to see them as early as June some years. The year should be the year it was built. There's no excuse for any other way of doing it.

What type of model did you buy (battery, FWD vs AWD, non-Performance vs. performance vs. Ludicrous)?

I placed an order for a 90D on 10/22 (for a 2016) but haven't heard anything.

To say it's disappointing is an understatement for those of use with Dec 2015 deliveries with 2015 VINs. They just effectively gave those 2016 deliveries a discount.

Electroma said:

I had selected January 2016 as my delivery preference in order to get a 2016 car. Yes I know model year doesn't matter at Tesla, but it matters to me. Well last night I received a phone call from headquarters asking me if I wanted delivery in 2015 if I could get a 2016 VIN. I said yes and my delivery is now late December. Did anyone else get a call like that?

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Thanks for sharing the interesting data point!

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green1 said:

I am extremely sad that Tesla caved on this. Buying a 2016 car in 2015 has always been absolutely ridiculous, and around here you start to see them as early as June some years. The year should be the year it was built. There's no excuse for any other way of doing it.

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For similar reasons IMO, the rest of the car industry already does this. As noted in the OP, if you're Tesla and someone says "I don't want to take delivery until the VIN says 2016" wouldn't you want to complete the sale in 2015 by setting the VIN accordingly?

I got the phone call. Tesla rep confirmed that I would get a 2016 VIN if I took delivery later this month. I told him no as I want my Tesla tax credit to count for 2016 and not 2015.

brianman said:

OP, if you're Tesla and someone says "I don't want to take delivery until the VIN says 2016" wouldn't you want to complete the sale in 2015 by setting the VIN accordingly?

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why not give them a 2017? 2020? Would that make them happier? What's the difference?

The model year for tesla used to be the one thing you could count on to actually mean something. But every day tesla goes further down the path of "scummy car dealer".mark my words, once they cross the Jan 1 boundary they will slowly creep back to the summer like all the others making model year meaningless

They have make money some day. Seems like they are caving because they kniw there is no other way to make money in this business doing amything else. That is how i see it.

Zybane said:

I got the phone call. Tesla rep confirmed that I would get a 2016 VIN if I took delivery later this month. I told him no as I want my Tesla tax credit to count for 2016 and not 2015.

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What's benefit?

This really isn't a big deal. Tesla is a tiny minnow compared to all other car dealers and the car buying public. If the market attaches importance to model years, Tesla can't afford to swim against the tide. If a 2015 model year is going to affect December sales, then do what everyone else does and call it a 2016.

Cosmacelf said:

This really isn't a big deal. Tesla is a tiny minnow compared to all other car dealers and the car buying public. If the market attaches importance to model years, Tesla can't afford to swim against the tide. If a 2015 model year is going to affect December sales, then do what everyone else does and call it a 2016.

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Which then affects November sales, so you call THOSE 2016,but that affects October sales, so you move it another month, but then September is affected, so another month it goes, soon it's June and you still have an affected month ahead, and by now you're starting to make a big deal about the model year to try to boost sales more, and it's just hurting your prior month more, and the next thing you know you're exactly like every other auto maker, but your sales haven't changed at all.

green1 said:

Which then affects November sales, so you call THOSE 2016,but that affects October sales, so you move it another month, but then September is affected, so another month it goes, soon it's June and you still have an affected month ahead, and by now you're starting to make a big deal about the model year to try to boost sales more, and it's just hurting your prior month more, and the next thing you know you're exactly like every other auto maker, but your sales haven't changed at all.

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End of year is way more important than end of month. If the guy's VIN had already been assigned as a 2016, based on being in the queue, and they could build and deliver early, I see no harm in this. I think this situation is unique in that there is production capacity just sitting there, right now, and there's an order, just lingering, why not? For a Tesla, the VIN is way more important than the year.

I think this will be a unique case because Tesla is about to put the X into full production after the new year. They have so much demand for that vehicle, and, based on Q4 sales of the S, Tesla seems to be at an inflection point where the momentum is about to really get going. I suspect, after the first of the year, they likely won't have any excess capacity just sitting there anymore.

If they break the Jan 1 boundry, they WILL creep back in the year until they are like every other manufacturer. Wait and see.
If there's someone who doesn't want his car now, build one for someone else who does, it's not like Tesla is lacking willing customers.