The message was not well received and a cancellation was attached. Tesla can always count on its Model 3 and Model Y, which are hugely successful and maintain their right-hand drive status on the other side of the channel.
On May 12, Tesla decided to end production of the right-hand drive Model S and Model X, much to the disappointment of UK customers. Some have even rescinded the order to return to competition, as Paul Jones did CoachA 2018 Model S owner planning to upgrade to the Model S Blade immediately went to his Porsche dealership to book a test drive of the Daigon Turbo S.
The move risks compromising the models’ value in the UK market, given limited demand for left-hand drive cars and concerns about incompatibility with local traffic. Additionally, if Tesla later decides to restart production of its two right-hand drive models, it could put customers who opted for a left-hand drive Tesla in a sticky situation.
Tesla is seeking economies of scale by focusing on production of the left-hand drive Model S and Model X. This strategy should not hurt its business given the relatively low sales figures for these models compared to the more successful Model 3 and Model Y. In fact, 11,000 Model S and 6,500 Model X were sold from 2013 to 2021 versus 90,000 Model Y and 80,000 Model Y in circulation!
Tesla is giving customers the option of canceling their Model S or Model X order or returning the Model 3 and Model Y with a £2,000 discount.
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