Patience.
This is the word that some Tesla (TSLA) customers will have to learn to integrate into their daily lives because they will need patience to get their Tesla cars, which have become the ultimate.
The manufacturer of electric vehicles is affected by the wall of headaches that stands in front of the entire automotive sector. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains. The impact on the suppliers of vehicle manufacturers is very significant, which leads to the temporary closure of factories and the halt of the assembly of certain models for lack of parts. Indeed, for two years now the shortage of microchips remains a big problem for many industries.
The resurgence of Covid-19 in China forced Tesla to close its Shanghai Gigafactory on March 28 for three weeks. This factory has reopened and is currently trying to operate normally. The Shanghai production site is very important for Tesla because the cars produced there serve not only China but also other Asian and European markets.
To these already significant difficulties has recently been added the soaring prices of many raw materials such as cobalt, graphite, phosphate, aluminum, palladium and especially nickel, a key metal needed to develop lithium batteries.
The battery is the key element of the electric vehicle because it determines a vehicle's range and plays a key role in its performance and security. The Russian invasion of Ukraine did not help matters, Russia being a big exporter of nickel. If Tesla also produces batteries and therefore depends a little less on third-party suppliers compared to its rivals Ford (F) and GM (GM), for example, the manufacturer is not spared.
New Delivery Dates
In addition, the rise in the price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump has prompted many consumers to take the plunge into electrification, which is causing a major imbalance between supply and demand. Car manufacturers therefore find themselves with full order books, but it is not certain that they can meet demand. They may have increased the prices of their vehicles, but the demand is not weakening.
Tesla has just made a new decision which shows that the situation remains tense. Indeed, Elon Musk's group has just changed the delivery dates previously given to buyers of Tesla vehicles. Basically, it will take longer than initially planned to get a vehicle.
Tesla produces four models -- the Model S luxury sedan, the Model 3 entry-level sedan, the Model X luxury SUV/Crossover, and the Model Y SUV -- which come in different configurations.
Here are Tesla's new delivery dates for the two models with the highest sales and production volumes.
Model 3
Model 3 base -- 267 miles autonomy, $46,990 base price -- delivery expected now between August-November 2022 from June-August 2022
Model 3 Long Range -- 334 miles autonomy, $55,990 base price -- delivery expected now between July and October 2022, from June-August 2022.
Model 3 Performance -- 315 miles autonomy, $62,990 base price -- delivery expected now between June-August 2022, from June-July 2022.
Model Y
Model Y Long Range -- 318 miles autonomy, $62,990 base price -- delivery expected now between November 2022 and February 2023, from October 2022 and January 2023.
Model Y Performance --303 miles autonomy, $67,990 base price -- delivery now expected between July and September 2022 from June and August 2022.
