Updated 05/20/2023
Buying a Tesla is different than buying any other car on the market. I thought this was a good thing at first, but the experience continues to sour.
Back in January I posted about our new Model Y order (https://www.aftersixcomputers.com/goodbye-rodimus-prime-hello-2023-model-y-lr/) which at the time had an estimated delivery date of somewhere between January and March. At the moment the estimated vehicle delivery date continues to push into the future:
Tesla delivery dates are not a promise, they are a rough guess from the Tesla factory based on projections for vehicles that should be manufactured. After final assembly, Tesla matches the vehicle configuration to a customer order and assigns the customer a VIN number. Until the VIN number has been assigned, and a number of other steps are completed, the actual day the vehicle arrives are an unknown. The frustration we are feeling at the moment is the vehicle financing.
We are financing our vehicle directly with Tesla for the purchase. Completing the financing application is handled in the Tesla app at the time of the order. Tesla appears to be putting the application out to bid with multiple vendors. Back in January the financing offer approved was through Wells Fargo. The approved loan terms are valid for 60 days, but the interest rates are subject to change at 30 days. If the Tesla being purchased is part of Tesla’s current inventory this timetable seems reasonable, but for custom orders 30 days is not realistic. At the end of the 30 days, the agreed upon rate expires and the entire loan is invalidated and the process starts all over. Customers must now go back into the Tesla app and re-apply for a new loan. Back in January we were approved for a 5.34% loan. Because of the delays, we are now on our second round of financing and the current interest rate increased to 5.59% through US Bank NA. Given the current delivery estimate I suspect we will be going through a 3rd round.
I’m trying to stay optimistic as the delivery dates continue to slip into the future. What gives me hope is that Tesla is currently working through changing all the hardware in their cars to what they call HW4. With upgraded cameras and a number of other hardware changes, getting a vehicle with HW4 would be worth the wait. The Model Y is currently using HW3 and HW4 is not something that can be added after the car is manufactured. At the moment HW4 is being added to new Model S and Model X vehicles, it hasn’t trickled down to the Model 3 and Y. One can dream, right!?
Update: Shortly after posting this blog, the delivery date moved closer:
On May 5th Tesla assigned a VIN number to me, thus a vehicle is on the way. The delivery window changed again:
On May 10th the widow changed again after Tesla processed our submitted proof of car insurance:
Then on May 12th we received the long awaited text message from Tesla:
“Hi, it’s time to schedule your delivery!”
At this point we learned that the vehicle is not being delivered to the Tesla location conveniently located a few miles from our house, in Roswell. Instead the vehicle is being delivered more than an hour away to the Tesla Kennesaw location. It turns out the lack of Tesla employee staffing at the Roswell location would delay our car another few months so Tesla has re-routed a number of vehicles to the Kennessaw location. We begrudingly accepted, made our final payment and have arrived at an actual pickup time, which also happens to be Cherish’s birthday.
We won’t have any more details about the car until delivery day, but the chances of V4 hardware are next to impossible at this point. Rumors suggest that Tesla has run into an inventory shortage for the headlights used in the Model Y. Instead of slowing down production to wait for parts they are upgrading the Model Y’s to use the higher-end headlights that are standard in the more expensive Model X. I heard they swivel from side to side as the steering wheel is turned. Fingers crossed we get these!
WIth the car delivery date set, it’s time to ACCESSORIZE!!!! I’ve ordered the Jeda USB Hub Console V2 (2021-2023), https://getjeda.com/jeda-usb-hub-refresh-console/ and now have to find a four-person bicycle rack for the two hitch.
To close out this post, Tesla texted us on May 18th letting us know that the vehicle arrived onsite and that we could schedule our pickup for an earlier time. We choose Friday afternoon and I’m excited to share that Thundercracker has arrived home!
Wow, the white faux-leather interior pops! We love it.
I’m also happy to report zero issues with the delivery experience and no issues with the car, which is exactly what you want from this experience. I’m working on a new post about the changes from the 2019 to the 2023 version of the car but I will share now that we did not receive HWv4. I’m still trying to sort out how to tell if we received the fancy headlights or not.
