Having just taken delivery in Austin on 8 August in the new facility, this is what will happen.
1) You will get an email from your DS. detailing the steps forward.
2) assuming you Finance all or part, within 30 days of your delivery you will secure financing. I did Alliant. The online app was easy and had a phone call with Alliant to complete te loan process. Phone call took 10 minutes. If cash then you have your bank transfer ready before step 4. You don't have to pay until step 4.
3) You will get a FEDEX package from TESLA with your California temporary registration paperwork about 10 days prior to estimated delivery. I did NOT have to sign for it. It will ask you to sign some documents and place them in a return fedex envelope. Your California Temp tag is in that package. Don't send it back
4) Your DS (Krystal for me) will give you an expected date of delivery. They will not let the car cross the Texas border without being paid in full. I have heard things in Dallas may be different. I paid up and it would have been delivered three days after payment (I deferred due to vacation).
5) If you have a trade in, they will give you an initial estimate. You will then take pictures to confirm conditions. My estimate was High end of fair condition. I expected that because my car had been in an accident (but repaired). I may have gotten $500 or so going with Car max or more with Private Sale (2010 Prius), but it was not worth the hassle.
6) My Delivery was on a Monday, At delivery,they did at best a cursory view of trade in and had me sign trade in paperwork. They probably faxed that paperwork to California. We got the tour of the car and the keys. I hit accept delivery on her iPad. Tesla App and Slacker were active in less than 30 minutes. That was on a Monday. While at the Delivery center, I bought a tire kit ($50) and a CHAdeMO adapter. They had both in stock. Saved me the shipping cost. My goodie bag was an umbrella, pin, pen, mug, and Tesla Service card. They should deliver your car charged. Mine was not due to opening day glitches.
7) I drove the car home and the next day- Tuesday - to Jay's Detailing for XPel, Cquartz and tinting. Picked it up that Friday.
8) That Wednesday I received all my final paperwork from Tesla to register my car through FedEx overnight. Certificate of Origin, etc.
9) Your car will already have an inspection document in the glove compartment
10) I will take my car to the County Tax office on Monday and write them a big ol check and they will do the paperwork to Title the car in Texas and I will take my plates from my old car that I had Tesla remove and put them on my new one (or you can get new plates).
11)There are some here that have tried and a few successfully (for now) to get it registered as a car that can be powered by hydrogen, I do not believe this meets the intent or wording of the statute, but I am a Georgia lawyer who now lives in Texas and you do what you wish.
A few things you may want to think about ahead of time. The center console Apple dock is will not fit an iPhone while it is in the case. You may want to buy a lightning connector to lightning connector adapter. I bought this (has not arrived yet):
https://smile.amazon.com/iNINJA-TM-Extender-Lifeproof-lifetime/dp/B01FQMX0TO/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1471231960&sr=1-1&keywords=iNINJA(TM)+Dock+Extender+Adapter+Male+to+Female+for+Lifeproof+iPhone+6,6s+plus,Iphone+5+5s+Ipad+4+Ipad+Mini+Ipad
I would assume there would be the same issue with Android and cases and the on-board phone charger.
- Plan how you will inspect your car. I had a finish problem that they were able to quickly fix.
- Have your HPWC installed. I am waiting for my electrician to install because I ordered late and it took them a long time to deliver it. I am charging on 30 amps and it is pedestrian. My builder will find out why the electrician only put a 30 amp fuse on my NEMA 14-50 outlet, but until it is fixed I can only charge at 30 amps not 40, let alone 72.
-The default for TESLA is for you to sign for (almost) everything, I live in an area where that is unnecessary, but I did not change my preferences with TESLA. I am not sure I would want my final registration paperwork subject to the crazy Texas weather. I had it delivered to a FEDEX office and picked it up on the way home. Very easy.
12) if you have Sirius/XM, be prepared for the colonoscopy of switching service to a new radio if you had service in your trade in. It took over an hour to get it done.
13) the day after delivery, your DS will (probably, Krystal did) send you links with helpful information and contact numbers.
Hope this helps!
J