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Factory Delivery

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Jkam

Member
Mar 13, 2010
339
22
I've done factory delivery at Mercedes, BMW and Renault. We picked the car up at the factory, drove it around Europe for a few weeks and delivered it to a designated port where it was then shipped to where we live.

I'm wondering if Tesla is going to have a similar plan. The Bay Area is kind of my 2nd home, and I wouldn't mind picking up the car at Fremont, driving it around California for a few weeks and then shipping back to my real home. The biggest thing is getting a temporary license plate/registration in order to drive the car around California and avoid paying the California sales tax. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to ship it directly to my real home.

Has anyone heard if Tesla has come up with a factory delivery program?
 
They would have to either ge an amendment to the current law or figure a way around it. Currently, if you take possession of a car in California, even if you don't register it there, the seller is required to collect sales tax on it.
 
All sounds like much more hassle than it may be worth to a small, budding car company. I'd imagine if they offered factory delivery, it would basically consist of going to the factory to receive your car (whether it's right off the line and to much fanfare is another issue). I don't see them juggling registrations and helping to arrange for reshipping after you've driven it around.

I could be wrong of course, but if they DO offer all of that off the bat, then they must be feeling extremely confident in every other aspect of the launch.
 
Yea, if anything gets done, it'll be some sort of temporary waiver passed by the state legislature. Google around and this question has been asked a bunch of times about an out of state person buying a car in CA, so if there were hoops to jump through to negate it, they'd be well known.
 
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The key add-on question to ask here (one that's been asked before) is if there is going to be a stiff "destination charge" (supposedly $1,950 for the Roadster?!) all the same even if one were able to pick the car up from the factory?!

What about Calif. residents (Bay Area folks even more so) who'll gladly do that to save on any dest./delivery charge?!
 
Yes, there was a $1,950 destination charge for my Roadster but it didn't feel excessive. In all honesty, I was buying a very expensive car and they delivered it to my front door in immaculate, sparkling condition. There is always a destination charge, 4 years ago I paid $800 on my wife's Mountaineer, but it shouldn't be excessive. Here in FL, I'd expect $1,000 or more but $2,000 would be too much for the Model S and it depends on whether Tesla will deliver to my house or I have to make the trip across state to Ft Lauderdale.
 
I had to pay the destination fee and a shipping fee to have the Roadster delivered to my home. Mind you, the closest Tesla location (a not-a-store) was 400 km away. At the time it wouldn't have been possible to drive it home without spending two days at a hotel somewhere in the middle (110V charging).

For the Model S, I'll probably just take the train down to Toronto to fetch it, and enjoy my first road trip home. I'm not counting on Tesla getting their charging infrastructure installed, and it could be too late in the season for the KOAs, but if I drive on the slower secondary highways I should be able to make it.
 
The key add-on question to ask here (one that's been asked before) is if there is going to be a stiff "destination charge" (supposedly $1,950 for the Roadster?!) all the same even if one were able to pick the car up from the factory?!

What about Calif. residents (Bay Area folks even more so) who'll gladly do that to save on any dest./delivery charge?!

I talked to a store rep and he indicated that they wouldn't be doing that for Model S customers that take delivery from a store. He emphasized that they wanted to take their time delivering the car and give the customer a 45min-1hr walk-through to educate him/her on features and such.

For home delivery there would be a charge, naturally.
 
I talked to a store rep and he indicated that they wouldn't be doing that for Model S customers that take delivery from a store. He emphasized that they wanted to take their time delivering the car and give the customer a 45min-1hr walk-through to educate him/her on features and such.

For home delivery there would be a charge, naturally.

I hope that you're right. I'd love to hop on the train to Seattle/Bellevue and come home with my shiny new Model S the next day.
 
I talked to a store rep and he indicated that they wouldn't be doing that for Model S customers that take delivery from a store. He emphasized that they wanted to take their time delivering the car and give the customer a 45min-1hr walk-through to educate him/her on features and such.

For home delivery there would be a charge, naturally.
Awesome. We finally have a store in Texas now in Houston so that'll work.
 
There is nothing quite like taking delivery of a car from the dealer, and driving it on a long road trip home. It's an opportunity to bond with your new car before you park it in your garage for its first night at home. My only question now is, how on earth am I going to get a 40kw Model S from Chicago (the closest Tesla store) to Cincinnati?
 
There is nothing quite like taking delivery of a car from the dealer, and driving it on a long road trip home. It's an opportunity to bond with your new car before you park it in your garage for its first night at home. My only question now is, how on earth am I going to get a 40kw Model S from Chicago (the closest Tesla store) to Cincinnati?
That might be kind of tough but possible. You'd probably have to stop and charge at least once and maybe twice to be safe. You could make it to Lafayette, IN and then stop again in Indianapolis to top off before heading to Cincinnati. There's always campgrounds as well but you'd want to call them and make sure they had 50A service and the correct NEMA 14-50 outlet.
 
That might be kind of tough but possible. You'd probably have to stop and charge at least once and maybe twice to be safe. You could make it to Lafayette, IN and then stop again in Indianapolis to top off before heading to Cincinnati. There's always campgrounds as well but you'd want to call them and make sure they had 50A service and the correct NEMA 14-50 outlet.

working with the map on plugshare, the current plan is to beg and plead a nissan dealer in Lafetette to let me charge for a few hours. In downtown indy there is a public parking garage with 4 EVSE's about a block away from several nice restaurants and a movie theater. From there is it 98 miles to my door (as long as I charge in range mode, and keep the speed below 60, I think I will be able to make it) according to plugshare, there is nothing in between indy and my house (at least I live on the far west side of Cincinnati) It will be an EV adventure to say the least.