CNN Money - "Tesla's US Sales May be Cooling Off"

[jerry33]

The sales numbers are pretty typical of a product that is production constrained. If only X number can be made per time period and and the number of markets are increased from two to three there will be X/3 cars available for each market rather than X/2. They are really stretching to make this into a lessening of demand negative article.

 

[purplewalt]

I took my MS85 in for service and the valet said that they are only busy delivering cars one month each quarter. Basically, one month for US, one month for Europe, and one month for China. There is no demand issue whatsoever.

This actually makes the most sense, that there is no demand issue.
To slightly amend your theory: with the impending roll-out of the RHD versions, there will probably be an even longer lapse/wait for domestic (US and Canada) orders, at least until the second production line becomes operational.
Unless of course you order the fully loaded P+ version, then your order becomes (slightly) accelerated.

And soon there will soon be the Model X coming from a production line, or mixed in with Model S on a single production line (probably the former).

 

[Vger]

A friend here in BC finally bit the bullet and ordered. He was going to get an S85, until her drove a P85. But the real kicker was that he was quoted 6 weeks for the P85 (June) and 12 weeks for the S85 (August). Seems he snuck into the last batch before the factory shutdown.

I strongly suspect that by autumn, when the factory capacity gets up to 1000 cars/week, this supposed drop in U.S. demand will disappear in a rush of shipments, and the fools in the financial press will be on to the next doomsday theory. If that does not do it, the pent-up demand for the Model X will.

 

[purplewalt]

A friend here in BC finally bit the bullet and ordered. He was going to get an S85, until her drove a P85. But the real kicker was that he was quoted 6 weeks for the P85 (June) and 12 weeks for the S85 (August). Seems he snuck into the last batch before the factory shutdown.

I strongly suspect that by autumn, when the factory capacity gets up to 1000 cars/week, this supposed drop in U.S. demand will disappear in a rush of shipments, and the fools in the financial press will be on to the next doomsday theory. If that does not do it, the pent-up demand for the Model X will.

Factory Tours cease for the entire month of July.
Last Tour is Monday, June 30, and they resume again Monday, Aug 4.

Part of it is probably the shut-down for vacations and some re-tooling and maintenance to existing production line.
Part of it is probably building and firing-up the new (second) production line.

Then the factory will start hitting 1,000 units a week.
Speculations by people in the press are wrong more often than they are right: they have no vision about possibilities.

 

[rkruff]

Tell them to go and "Drive the Car" and then explain how demand could ever "cool off". I just got back from a Road Trip with my S85 that I bought back in December. It has 10k miles now and I had never been to a Supercharger. Ok, well the SC experience left me absolutely flabbergasted by how fast, convenient, and brilliant it all is. I have always been a fan.... Now I am a Superfan. It is all so amazing. I let my brother and uncle drive the car in AZ and... voila, there will be two new customers this year. The media either doesn't get it or they are being disingenuous.... Or both. Nothing they say can take away from the truth.... It is an amazing car, designed and produced by a brilliant team, and that will trump the dopes in the end.

 

[green1]

I do wonder how many sales Tesla has lost because people simply aren't willing to wait? A couple weeks is one thing, but 3-4 months or more starts to really make people think twice. I like that Tesla is adding that second line and ramping up production, I just have this feeling that it still won't be enough. (of course obviously what Tesla REALLY needs is to get Gigafactory moving, doesn't help much to have cars sitting around unable to be sold because they don't have batteries in 'em)

 

[dhanson865]

Look at all the people that stretched to buy a Model S at $60,000 to $70,000. If sales ever dropped off they could drop the price by $5,000 and a whole new wave of buyers would show up. Drop the price by $10,000 and the amount of buyers would balloon exponentially.

Anyone that thinks there isn't enough demand for Tesla right now is whistling past the graveyard.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Speculations by people in the press are wrong more often than they are right: they have no vision about possibilities.

I wish the press were as skeptical of what politicians say as they are about companies!

 

[Cosmacelf]

I do wonder how many sales Tesla has lost because people simply aren't willing to wait? A couple weeks is one thing, but 3-4 months or more starts to really make people think twice. I like that Tesla is adding that second line and ramping up production, I just have this feeling that it still won't be enough. (of course obviously what Tesla REALLY needs is to get Gigafactory moving, doesn't help much to have cars sitting around unable to be sold because they don't have batteries in 'em)

If you are in a hurry, most stores do have demo cars that can be purchased right then and there.

 

[purplewalt]

If you are in a hurry, most stores do have demo cars that can be purchased right then and there.

You are correct, there are ways to get a Model S very quickly from Service units, loaners and gallery models from available inventory.

But, some (most?) people that are spending the amount of money for a car in that price range may want certain/specific colors, Options and features that may not have been installed on an already-built car.
One size might not fit all.