The Model 3 is key to Tesla’s target for the third quarter. Being the car that is expected to push the company toward profitability, it is pertinent for Tesla to ensure that the Model 3 gets delivered to as many customers as possible before the third quarter ends.
As the days of September trickle down, Tesla is once more preparing for its end-of-quarter push, a tendency that the company displayed in Q1 and Q2 2018. As part of this initiative, Tesla has reportedly begun an initiative to start “intermediate deliveries” of the Model 3 to reservation holders in California. The new system is set to be done on a “first come, first served” basis, following invitations for the massive delivery event at its delivery center in Fremont, California.
An email to Model 3 reservation holders was acquired by EV-themed website Electrek . According to the communication from the company, the vehicles that would be on display are the long range rear wheel drive Model 3, which would be available for immediate delivery.
“We have a limited number of Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive vehicles on display that are available for immediate delivery. As a first-day reservation holder, you’re invited to take advantage of this opportunity on a first-come, first-served basis. We will be extending this invitation to addition Model 3 reservation holders on Monday, September 10,” the email read.
Tesla started the production of the Model 3 with the long range, RWD version of the vehicle. Over the past few months, Tesla has also started offering and delivering the AWD and Performance variants of the electric car. With this in mind, the invitation recently sent out to reservation holders appears to be Tesla’s way of pushing as many Model 3 to customers as possible this quarter.
To all of the people who (were) frantically refreshing to see if their @Tesla Model 3 delivery window was moved up:
I didn’t get the opportunity to join you.
Mine was ready before the slated window.
Great work guys! Happy to be an owner. pic.twitter.com/oHctVWHsbN
— J Black (@MakotoTheKnight) September 10, 2018
Tesla is currently attempting to hit a production record of manufacturing 50,000-55,000 Model 3s this third quarter. While such a goal is ambitious, the electric car maker appears to be hitting its stride in the production of the vehicle. Tesla, after all, initially planned to produce 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of December, 2017. Due to several bottlenecks at Tesla’s Fremont factory and Gigafactory 1, the 5,000 Model 3-per-week production milestone was reached six months later than expected, at the final week of the final month of Q2 2018. Since then, Model 3 production appears to have improved.
Despite all these difficulties and Elon Musk’s own challenges with the media, the Model 3 is starting to establish itself as a formidable entry into the U.S. passenger car segment. As noted in a CleanTechnica report, the Model 3 became the fifth best-selling passenger car in the U.S., behind lower-priced vehicles like the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and the Toyota Corolla.